Anything You Need
by qinop
Summary: Namine has set out on a journey to set things right. Along her quest, she will meet adversaries and obstacles alike. Will she be able to overcome the trials of love or will she crumble under the weight of responsibility? Gradual OOCNamine
1. Heartfelt Prologue

_Anything you need. I'll stay with you until I die and give you anything you need to fulfill your duties._

The only sound that filled the late night air was the waves' crashing onto the beach. The full moon high above cast a pale light on the dark waters and white sands. The sand dunes stretched on for miles, all steep, all white. Laying in the sand was a young man, the only distinguishable figure on the entire beach. He had his arms behind his head and his leg propped over each other as he nodded back and forth to the music coming out of his large headphones.

His skin was fair. Even in the moonlight it was evident that it was on the pale side. His bright blue hair was separated into five rising and tapered sections and bobbed with his head. He had a lean figure, slim and toned; in no way masculine. This was of course barely disguised by his ever-present loose cloak. The garbs he wore were black and white, the darker side taking his right while the lighter side dominated his left.

He reached down and pressed the stop button on his walkman.

"**...**"

"Good morning 0-2." A nearby stranger said.

"Good morning, Boss. What am I doing today?" The youth replied in a tone of familiarity.

"I am sending you on a mission with The Creep."

oXo

"Hey..."

"Come on, wake up."

"Come on, I can tell you're awake."

Razyn opened his eyes. Staring back at him was a pair of blue eyes. These eyes belonged to a young girl with blonde hair and fair skin. Her left hand was resting on his chest.

"Good. I was getting worried for a second there." She stated.

Razyn sat up slowly. He looked around the room in which he and the now kneeling girl resided. It was a very boring room, all white and containing more white furniture than he would ever care to see.

Razyn's gaze fell on the girl who awoke him. She was sitting there with a smile on her face.

"Who are you?" Razyn asked.

"I am Namine." She replied, still smiling. "What is your name?" She asked.

"Oh, sorry," Razyn said, "My name is Razyn."

"It's nice to meet you, Razyn." Namine replied.

"Where am I?" Razyn quickly asked.

"The abandoned mansion." Namine replied. "It's in the middle of the forest."

The next few moments were spent in silence. Aside from Razyn's "Oh," nothing was said. Namine began to draw in a sketch pad she grabbed from the nearby table.

Growing tired of the silence, Razyn cleared his throat. Namine stopped drawing and looked up from her sketch pad. "Do you know why I'm here?" he asked.

"No I don't." Namine answered.

Razyn sighed. "Do you mind if I stay here?" He asked, sitting upright. "I don't remember where I live." Razyn sheepishly laughed as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Namine giggled. "You can stay as long as you like." She said.

Razyn stood up, and extended his hand to Namine. "Thanks," He replied, "I'll try not to be a burden."

Namine smiled and stood up, placing her sketchpad on the table. Namine motioned for Razyn to follow her, and soon the two were walking out the door together.

oXo

"Oh I haven't been living here too long." Namine answered, as she walked down the stairs with Razyn. They were going to the foyer, continuing with Namine's tour. Namine continued walking as Razyn examined the glass box sitting atop the pedestal in the middle of the room. She stopped walking when Razyn ran to catch up to her, a couple of steps away from the front door.

"Hey Namine, are you leaving?" Razyn asked.

Namine turned a little so she could see Razyn out of the corner of her eye. "Yes, I am, and I'm not coming back."

"Huh?" Razyn uttered, dumbfounded.

"I planned to leave after you had awoken." Namine explained.

"What?" Razyn asked. "Why? Isn't this your home?"

"Well, yes..." Namine trailed off as she walked closer to the door, Razyn following suit. "But I don't think there's any reason for me to be here anymore."

Namine looked back at Razyn with a big grin on her face. "I would have felt guilty if I left you unattended." She said. Namine frowned, turned around and grabbed the door knob. "Goodbye, Razyn." She said as she opened the door, letting the sunlight fill the room.

oXo

If Namine was right, this would shock Razyn, causing some of his memories to leak out. He would then be so curious, that he would want to know more about himself. Realizing, at some level, that Namine was the key to his memories, he would want to come with her. He would only come if he had good excuse, which he wouldn't be able to come up with right off the bat. Namine would be able to suggest one for him.

If Namine could get Razyn to come with her, it would be the perfect way to continue the 'test.'

Apparently, when Razyn gave her a part of his heart, she also received his cunning thought process.

"Namine! Wait!"

Namine grinned. Today was going great.

oXo

"Razyn, are you sure you're up to this?" Namine asked as she and Razyn walked side by side down the spiraling Twilight Mountain trail. The mountain itself was huge, with Twilight Town nestled safely at the top, and a forest surrounding the base.

"Don't worry about it!" Razyn exclaimed. "I'm a pro."

Namine giggled as she watched Razyn over dramatically swing his knife around, while saying stuff like "Take this!" and "Hah!"

"So," Razyn said, sheathing his knife within his sleeve, "where do you live?"

"Huh?" Namine hadn't anticipated this. Things were going so well that she didn't think of these little details. She would have to think of something, quick. But the only places she knew were Castle Oblivion and Twilight Town.

"Garret." She blurted out. She had no idea what it was, but it sounded good. At least Razyn believed her.

So they walked in silence, around the mountain, around the town of twilight; down the dirt path, more foliage appearing with every step. First scraps and weeds, but eventually, the trail became immersed in a dense forest.

oXo

After only a couple of hours, the two wayfarers found that their environment had completely changed. Namine and Razyn were both in a vast meadow stretching as far as they could see. The moon was bright enough to see far enough away to tell that the valley was completely flat. There were no trees, nor any buildings for that matter. Just _grass._

It was a welcome change on Namine's part, seeing as how she planned to travel at least this far and she hadn't planned to get this exhausted so easily. Honestly, who knew that traveling down could be so depleting?

Razyn stopped walking and turned to Namine. "I think it would be best if we stopped here for the night." He stated while removing his cloak. "Is that okay?" He asked as he folded his cloak. As Namine nodded, Razyn offered her a makeshift, two-toned pillow.

"That's fine," Namine replied as she fluffed the pillow. Namine sat down and placed the pillow on the soft grass as Razyn removed his leather armor and produced various objects from his pockets. She lied down just before Razyn, too exhausted to even sit upright any longer.

Before falling asleep, Namine remembered thinking about how nice her pillow smelled.

**A/N**

**Anything You Need, the first installment of the 'Collette Chronicles.'**

**I'll be spelling Namine with regular 'e's in this fic. I love her to death, but spending half an hour looking for 'That letter' is too much of a hassle. Plus, it messes with my mojo.**

**This is qinop, signing off, for now.**


	2. Dear Ignominy

**Disclaimer: I have no disclaimer. **_**Yet.**_

_If I can make you happy, I will be happy. Because I know, deep down, that's all you want for me._

oXo

Namine grinned.

When Namine embarked on this quest, she had two simple goals in mind: return Razyn's memories, and have him fall for her.

She had a plan. It was simple, too. First, she would convince Razyn to leave Twilight Town with her. Simple. But that was the easy part.

Next they would descend the mountain, and travel across the meadow at the foot of the mountain. Although it was just walking, that part would take about a week, so Namine would have to be careful to keep a steady pace.

By day three, they would have found a dirt road that looked old, yet fresh. They would travel down this path for another three or four days, until they found Castle Oblivion. This was the tricky part. Namine would need a lot of luck to make this work.

All the while, she would have the chance to bond with her good friend Razyn. A little bit of charm, and he'll be hers in no time.

If it all went according to plan, by the time Razyn recovered his memories, he would already be in love with her. He would be completely convinced that the love he forgot was meant to be!

Namine giggled as she reflected on her plan. They were half way through day two and already closer than she had predicted.

"What's so funny?" Razyn asked as Namine passed by him.

"Oh, nothing," Namine remarked, shoving her hands into her pockets as a content look spread across her face.

Razyn sneered, and ran to catch up to her. "And what's nothing?" He asked.

Namine looked away from Razyn, trying to be coy as he prodded at her for answers.

When Razyn finally finished his array of questions, he said, "Hey, Namine."

Namine lazily turned her view to Razyn, still smiling. "Nn?"

"How long do you think it will take to reach Garret?" Razyn asked.

"Huh?" Namine took a second to realize what Razyn was talking about, before she quickly scrambled to come up with an answer. "A-about five days or so." She half-lied.

"Oh." Razyn said. "Hmm."

"What?" Namine asked.

"Nothing." Razyn replied, smiling.

Namine blinked before narrowing her eyes. "What's nothing?" She questioned.

Razyn put his arms behind his neck and said, "Oh it's just-" He stopped half way through, standing still.

Namine was about to inquire when a chill ran up her spine. It was like something terrible had just... appeared. Namine and Razyn slowly started walking again. After a few moments of tense silence, Namine whispered, "Can you take them?"

"I don't know," Razyn answered, "The fact that they haven't started attacking yet means they are capable of higher thought; very dangerous, most likely highly skilled as well."

"Do you have a plan?" Namine asked, trying her best to at least _look_ calm. She stowed her trembling hands into her pockets.

Razyn clutched his left wrist. "Can you use any magic?" He whispered as he reached into his sleeve.

Namine shook her head by just a margin. "No."

Then Razyn did something that not only surprised Namine, but reassured her. He grinned.

Razyn spun around, pointing to the three Heartless. "You three!" He shouted. "You've gone far enough, now stop and fight me!" As Razyn finished his command, the Heartless stopped, and prepared to fight.

Namine turned around, to see - standing side by side - three human-like Heartless. There were two smaller Heartless, one with faded blond hair, one holding a thick book, and one gigantic muscular Heartless holding a huge black and red axe-like weapon. The largest was standing between the smaller two. The three formed a mismatched trio.

To Namine's left, Razyn drew his knife from his sleeve while unzipping his cloak, the movement fluid and well-practiced.

"Surrender!" The large Heartless roared. "We will have your hearts!"

"Hmph." Razyn pulled his arm back, and shuffled his feet. "You three won't have anything," he cried as he dashed toward the one holding a book. Razyn planted his knife in the Heartless' forehead, while simultaneously ripping the book out of his hands. After stuffing the book into his cloak, Razyn jumped up, twisting his knife, and landed behind the little one, slicing him in half. Razyn then backflipped to Namine's side without missing a beat.

Namine's jaw dropped slightly. If that's what Razyn can do, maybe her plans weren't ruined after all...

"He killed Ienzo..." The smaller blonde Heartless whispered.

"I know, Even." The larger Heartless responded. He held up his weapon, and pointed it at Namine. "I will aim for her."

Even grabbed the air before him, as a shield appeared out of nowhere. "We will avenge him, right Eleaus?" Even questioned.

Eleaus simply nodded.

Namine looked at Razyn, who not only seemed very quiet, but was standing completely still. Namine thought for a second Razyn was caught in some trap, and froze from fear. But upon further inspection, Razyn appeared to be talking to himself. That could only mean two things.

Even started running toward Razyn, shield held high.

One, Razyn suddenly decided to start praying for more mana. Not likely, given his fighting style.

Even roared as he approached Razyn.

Or-

"Firaga!" Razyn shouted as he launched a basketball shaped fireball from his empty hand. In a flash, Even's shield had shattered like glass, the shards scattering along the ground as Even landed with a thud.

Eleaus looked at his partner's condition and back at Razyn and Namine. "Give up!" He roared, easily holding his axe level with his chest. "Or else I won't take it easy on you!"

"Ha ha! No way!" Razyn exclaimed as he jumped, knife in hand, ready to finish Even off. "Say goodbye!" He cried as he prepared to land on Even.

Namine's eyes lit up as new a new hope sparked. Maybe he can beat them. She just had to believe in Razyn a little more. She watched as Razyn descended upon Even, the once-man now too injured to dodge.

Before he landed, however, Eleaus caught him. Razyn's eyes widened as he felt the cold fingers wrapped around his waist. He gasped as the second hand gripped his neck.

Namine's face fell. "Razyn!" She screamed. She tried to run, but by the time her legs accepted the orders, it was over.

Both Namine and Razyn looked, in disbelief at the arm piercing Razyn's chest. Razyn tried to grab the arm, but he was too weak to do so. Namine tried to pry Razyn's heart away from Eleaus, but couldn't.

Eleaus pulled his arm back, out of Razyn's chest, still holding his heart. Namine had never seen a Heartless rip a heart from someone's chest before. She always thought there would be more blood. But there wasn't; it was just a polished jewel leaving a hole in Razyn's chest.

Eleaus, still holding Razyn by the neck, tossed him to the ground right in front of Namine. Namine couldn't breathe. Razyn was laying on his side, motionless, the edges of the hole in his chest trembling. She looked up, only to see Eleaus and Even looming above her and Razyn.

She looked back down at Razyn, resigning to her fate to these two Heartless. "I can't believe how miserably I failed you, Razyn." Namine held her head low, and squeezed her eyes shut. Any minute now, the Heartless will claim her heart, and the entire journey will have been for nothing.

"Release my blasphemy." Razyn muttered.

Namine's opened her eyes. Razyn just spoke. That meant that he wasn't completely gone. But what was that? Blasphemy? What could that mean-

She knew what it meant. As she looked up at the two Heartless, she saw them both hanging in the air, being suspended by two blades of light. Holding the blades was a man who looked like Razyn, but different. Like a brother or a cousin, only, he was glowing faintly.

Whatever this blasphemy is supposed to be, that must be it. Namine watched as the incandescent man withdrew his blades. As he began to fade from view he pronounced one thing, "Make sure he gets back in one piece, Princess."

Namine sat there staring at the space where Blasphemy once occupied, for hours.

Why did this have to happen to her?

**A/N**

**Oh me, oh my. Namine's plan has gone awry. **

**What will she do to remedy this?**

**Read and Review~**

**qinop out.**


	3. Lovely Sacrilege

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. **

_You left me, in more ways than one. I know you will come back to me, but it hurts none the less._

Namine watched as Razyn lay before her motionless. After mumbling to herself in gibberish out of grief, she threw her head back and let out a long wail as she slammed her fists into the dirt of the road she had once planned to traverse. The crossroads of destiny. The Crux Road.

This wasn't supposed to be happening. She was supposed to return Razyn's memories, not turn him into...

Into _this_. How was she going to repay her debt if he was a Heartless, or worse...? She could even get eaten if she wasn't careful. The thought of her only friend chasing after her, trying to rip out her...

Namine gripped her chest and moaned from the sharp pain that thought had undoubtedly triggered. She needed to calm down. Clenching her eyes shut, she crossed her legs, deeply breathing until she was calm again. In and out.

In and out.

In and... out.

In... and... out... Don't fall asleep.

She opened her eyes and gazed upon Razyn. He was still lying there, motionless as ever.

She was calm; she could think. She needed a plan, and she needed one now. Maybe if-

A sharp gasp startled Namine. She jumped before trying to distinguish the source of this sudden sound. Before she could figure it out, something grabbed her. She shrieked as she scurried away from the sudden contact.

The source of the gasp, as well as the cold hand, was Razyn. Namine grinned as Razyn pushed himself off of the ground.

That grin vanished as he reared his head, smiling.

He was... He was _different._ His eyes were black, with small, orange, quivering blotches in either center; each eye looked like a deep pit with a fire burning at the very bottom. Then his skin. Sure, Razyn never had a healthy tan about him, but now he looked paler than the clouds traveling overhead. Somehow his clothes were tattered as well, giving his an all-around beat up look.

He was... a...

Razyn sighed, staring at Namine. He bent down, placing his hands on his knees as he spoke, "Hey cutey, how long are you going to sit there for?" His voice was the same at least. Calm, fluent, and a bit suave.

Namine blinked a couple of times before sighing and crossing her legs. "Please sit." She muttered. Without making sure Razyn had followed out his orders or not, Namine closed her eyes, and breathed slowly.

She needed a plan.

A plan.

A plan.

A... "Ah-ah-ah, oh... That feels good..."

"I'm glad it does. I'm not very experienced in this type of maneuver, so I wasn't quite sure."

_...Rub rub._

Namine opened her eyes, and turned around to see Razyn holding his hands outward, his fingers curled.

"What are you doing?" Namine asked.

"I was giving you a massage." Razyn said, wiggling his fingers. "I thought I was doing a pretty good job, too."

Namine faced forward and sighed. At least he's not trying to eat her heart...

oXo

_...Rub rub._

"You're stressed about something, aren't you?" Razyn asked from behind Namine. Namine just grunted in response. Although Namine and Razyn managed to stumble upon the road within the valley, for now she considered it useless. It was now nearing sunset, and Namine had decided they would remain there until she could think of a plan.

So she was sitting there, arms folded, legs crossed and eyes closed, plotting. Also, for reasons unknown, Razyn was giving a her a massage. Again.

"If it's because of my turning into a Heartless," Razyn continued, "there's really no reason to fuss. I mean, all we have to do is put me back together."

"What?" Namine opened her eyes. "How do we do that?" She asked, trying to turn around to face Razyn.

Razyn let go of Namine as he explained, "All we need to do is put my heart into my Nobody."

Namine pursed her lips as she contemplated this plan. "One problem." She said.

"What's that?" Razyn asked.

"I have no idea how to do that." Namine half-moaned, half-wailed.

"Trust me, it will be fine." Razyn said. Then he added, "We just need to find my Nobody. He... or she... should have been created somewhere that was of great importance to me. Like I said, it will be fine."

"If you say so." Namine replied. She glanced behind Razyn to see the sun setting. How long had they been talking for? It's orange glow reminded her of the new orange eyes of her companion. She needed to fix him. But, for now, "We should start tomorrow." Namine suggested, as she, followed by Razyn, strolled to the green grass of the meadow.

As Namine lay in the grass, hands behind her head, staring at the stars, she couldn't help but realize that she was completely at ease with Razyn lying across from her, sleeping.

oXo

_"...2..."_

_"...0-2... Do..."_

_"Good morning, 0-2."_

_"Good morning, Boss. What am I doing today?"_

_"I am sending you on a mission with The Creep. You are to provide back up and extraction. You may call for me once, and like always, only in an emergency. This is an S-Ranked mission, so nothing you see there is to be mentioned to anyone, understood?"_

_"Yessir."_

_"You depart this evening."_

oXo

Namine bolted from her sleep caked in sweat. What was that? She never remembered talking to that guy. Actually, she didn't remember anything from before being a Nobody...

But she was certain that those weren't Kairi's or Sora's memories. Maybe they were Razyn's? But why would he be called zero-two? This doesn't make any sense.

She turned her gaze towards Razyn, still sleeping on his side, facing her. Maybe they were his memories.

oXo

Namine watched as the sun rose over the horizon with sleepy eyes. She couldn't sleep much last night. She knew it would be like this. In her original plan, she had accounted running into The Valley of Empty Dreams. The area is supposed to be huge, with invisible borders. Anyone who enters this zone would feel exhausted no matter how much they rested or slept. Only someone who is attuned to the element of 'Nothing' can comfortably travel through this valley. If the myths were true some could even see the invisible walls.

Namine slowly turned her head toward Razyn, sitting cross-legged while cooking eggs and bacon on an ersatz griddle and fire. Whistling merrily.

"Razyn..." Namine croaked as she patted down some stray hairs that were bothering her for no real reason.

"Yes~?" Razyn chimed. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation, but his voice seemed _really_ annoying this morning.

"Where did all of that come from?" She questioned, eyeing the griddle for eyeing's sake.

Razyn grinned. Namine noted that his teeth were serated. "Well with magic of course!" Razyn cried, as he flipped the eggs and shuffled the bacon. "This fire is just an elemental demon I summoned. He's on a food-related contract, so he brings the frying pan and spatula with him. As for the food, I just have really good credit, and know a couple of express delivery moogles." Razyn grinned, this time hiding his teeth.

Namine blinked a couple of times, straining her eyes agianst the morning light. "Razyn, do you have mastery over 'Nothing'?"

Razyn paused before answering. Then he resumed his cooking, speaking over the low sizzling of the food. "If by Nothing you mean the magical element, than yes." Razyn, still smiling gave Namine a mock suspicious look. "How did you know that?"

Instead of answering, Namine asked another question. "Can you see any walls nearby? Like transparent ones?"

"Yes I do, why?"

"It's imperative," Namine said, cutting off Razyn, "that you guide us outside of the nearest wall as soon as possible and make sure we don't cross one ever again. This area is cursed. I will die if I stay here for more than a week." She explained with a monotone voice.

Razyn looked down at the food he was cooking and back at Namine, face cold and serious. "Eat your breakfast," he said as he handed her a fork, holding the quickly cooling griddle before her. "After, I will carry you to the closest wall, which is about a mile away." Razyn pointed to his left, far into the meadow.

"No," Namine said as she stabbed the bacon with disinterest, eating out of foresight, rather than hunger. "We need to keep to that road in the middle."

"Very well." Razyn said as he shoveled down his share of the over-easy eggs.

They continued to eat in silence, trying as best they could to enjoy the meal that Razyn had prepared, while eating as fast as they could. After they had finished, Razyn snapped his fingers, and the demon flew toward him, grabbed his equipment and trash and disappeared in a puff of ash and smoke.

"Let's go." Razyn said, crouching down to let Namine climb onto his back. Razyn chuckled as he raised himself from the grass. "You're even lighter than you look," Razyn admitted, "Even with those curves of yours."

"Shut up and walk." Namine murmured, hiding her blushing cheeks in Razyn's hair.

oXo

Unbeknownst the two companions, off in the distance, a foot slowly formed from nothing. Ash-colored scraps spun around the foot, gliding and whipping about the air. Slowly, natural flesh and skin swirled into view as if it had merely been invisible a moment before. When the ashen scraps of nothing finished, a second foot began to form.

Steadily, the new feet became legs, the legs joined at a waist, and the waist joined with a free floating torso. Then a pair of arms appeared; first the hands, then the shoulders, and lastly meeting at the forearms, forming the frame of someone begging for forgiveness.

After one whole hour of spinning, swirling, and gliding, the ashen scraps stopped where the head would be. The scraps drew close to each other, until there were no gaps between the slivers and slices; until they were connected at the seams. Now this ball of nothing began to slowly deflate and reshape into something more coherent...

Into something _human_. Every curve, crevice, nook and cranny of a man's face was formed from the once free-floating strips of ash. Color formed. Then the pastel colored ash became skin. Hair formed in patches on the once barren skin. Eyes, ears, and nostrils came soon after. Finaly, a horizontal line formed near the bottom of this face. It split apart, showing quickly forming teeth, gums, and a tongue.

The man stood up, and pulled his bright blue hair back with both hands, stopping at the neck. He let go, his now orange hair flattened against his scalp and neck.

Standing straight, arms outstretched, clothing began to form as well. First pants, white and tight fitting followed by a matching low-cut shirt. Then an open black tunic, starting at his shoulders and stopping at his knees. Finally, a pair of black sneakers to complete his outfit.

He relaxed, and reached outward. Slowly, dozens of hearts began to gather at his hand, forming a rod of sorts. He gripped this rod firmly, and pulled with all his might. Behind him, a mighty blade appeared, attached to the rod, unused fragments of the hearts falling away. These hearts, small and shining, circled him, eventually reaching his face, where they reformed and placed themselves as a small pair of sunglasses.

He began walking in the direction Razyn and Namine were headed.

Two hours ago, this man, this... _Nobody_ did not exist. Now he does, and his purpose is clear:

He must become whole again.

**A/N**

**Who is this new man?**

**What are his purposes?**

**Tune in next time to Anything You Need!**

**qinop out.**


	4. Sinful Atonement

**Disclaimer: All of my base are belonging to mine.**

_I promise you, I will remain by your side, even if you don't know I'm there._

The Crux Road extended for miles as Razyn carried a still-groggy Namine to their destination, Castle Oblivion. According to Razyn, the middle road was right in the center of the invisible room created by the walls. They had already traveled for three days, but Razyn revealed to Namine that they would have to travel across the Valley of Empty Dreams for a few more.

"Hey Razyn." Namine muttered, her chin resting on his shoulder.

"Yes, Namine?" Razyn chimed.

"How come you don't eat hearts?" Namine murmured, fighting sleep. Despite the fact that she was dead-tired from the lack of sleep, she still managed to ask with a firm tone.

Razyn giggled a little. "Who says I don't?"

"Hunh?" Namine said, raising her head by a few millimeters.

Razyn laughed again. "It's best not to think about it, but unlike other Heartless, I can simply filter-feed." Razyn explained, sounding as suave as ever.

Namine let her head go, resting her chin on Razyn's shoulder. "Filter... feed?" She mumbled.

"Yes," Razyn replied. "I used to have control over hearts as a somebody, and that power carried over to my Heartless. All I have to do is search for some free-floating abandoned hearts, and snatch them. Believe me, it's harder than it sounds, and only possible in areas in which hundreds of hearts are floating."

Namine was a little confused, but decided to ask the first thing that came to mind. "So you've been eating hearts this whole time?"

"No," Razyn replied. "I just captured a handful, and have been taking a nibble every time I'm feeling peckish."

Namine didn't respond so much as nuzzle Razyn's neck, trying to get comfortable again.

After a pause Razyn tried to start up a conversation by saying, "We should be there in two days, if nothing happens."

Namine only grunted in response. If only he knew how many times 'nothing' has happened on this journey.

Namine decided to go to sleep. Futile as it was, at least she was still having those dreams from Razyn's past. They proved to be very useful.

oXo

"**...**"

The Nobody continued to follow the two companions as he waited for the opportunity to enact his plan.

oXo

The interior of Castle Oblivion was the same as it ever was: bleak. Aside from the duo themselves, there was absolutely no color within these condemned corridors.

Just as Namine remembered them. But this visit seemed... different. Walking through the castle under these conditions, with Razyn, no Organization members, her mission with Sora completed, Namine started to feel empowered. The fact that she was actually rested no doubt added to the new-found power as well.

She marched toward the first door with the same vigor she had at the beginning of their journey.

oXo

"**...**"

The Nobody gazed upon the castle with determination in his eyes.

_'This place... feels unholy. I have no idea how I know that, but I just do.'_

The Nobody held his blade high, pointing it at the Castle. "Come!" He barked, sword held high. "Gather, souls imbued with powers most foul! Gather to my blade most holy! Forfeit your might, and gain salvation!"

_'I don't know how I'm doing this.'_

As the Nobody held his sword towards the castle, balls of differing color light began to spiral up from the ground. These lights flew up into the air, spiraling and bouncing against each other. "Come!" The Nobody barked.

_'It seems like a tragedy happened here, for so many souls to be trapped in this castle...'_

The lights spiraled once more before coming down onto the Nobody, only one of them hitting their mark. The others raced away from him. That one ball of light crashed into the Nobody's blade, being absorbed instantly while causing no impact. The nobody closely examined the weapon, tracing the indent left on both sides by the ball.

_'This is a spirit almost soaking with the curse of Pride...'_ The Nobody held his sword up high, pointing to where the sun would be, if there was one. _'Since this one is so strong, using it's power will alter my blade, giving me an over-all increase in strength, intelligence, and speed.'_ With a roar, he brought it down as hard as he could, burying it in the earth.

After he pulled the sword from the rock, it's shape had already changed drastically. It was no longer pointed and narrow, but rounded and thick, no part of it save for the hilt thinner than half a foot. It's color had changed as well; once it was a proud gleaming silver, rivaling that of a mirror, now it was a dull blue, a muted reminder of the hair he once sported. Among these alterations there were some aesthetic changes, towards the tip there was a hook of sorts, as well as two holes on the spine towards the tip fashioned for _something_ to be inserted and held in place.

The Nobody swung his sword over his shoulder as he turned to the Castle. _'There seems to be a trend among Nobodies to choose a name for themselves and their weapons, as well as change their weapons to suit the situation.'_ He thought as he walked toward the entrance, absorbing the information the fallen Nobodies' soul contained.

With a grin that could kill, he slammed the tip of his blade to the ground and roared into the heavens, "With Lucifer's Catalyst in hand, I, Arxzyn, The Virtuous Crusader, shall become the first Nobody to become whole under his own might!"

He returned his gaze to the castle doors. He stared at them for a mere second before kicking them open with one swift motion.

"You can count on it." He muttered to himself as he held his sword ove his right shoulder while he strutted through the castle entrance, the double doors slamming against the walls.

oXo

"Namine, are you sure about this?" Razyn inquired.

"I'm positive." Namine, said with utmost confidence. "I mean, it's not like this is your first time, is it?"

Razyn looked away. "Well, no, I've done this plenty of times before, with many different kinds of people, so I'm not nervous. But are you sure you wish to do this here and now?"

"Of course I do." Namine assured. "Now get down so I can jump on."

"Alright, but don't actually jump, that would be too dangerous; it could hurt like hell if you fell on me."

"Noted. Alright now, here we... Go!"

Razyn groaned as Namine jumped onto his back. She placed her arms under his, while he held her by the legs. "I told you not to jump..." Razyn said as he tried to rub his back without dropping Namine. After failing to palliate his pain, Razyn turned toward the next door. "Alright, what is the plan, my dear?"

"You run at top speed, I open all of the doors, and we look for your Nobody afterwords, undistracted. Simple, right?" Namine replied.

"Sure..." Razyn murmured, not really understanding, but trusting Namine anyway.

"Can you last that long?" Namine asked.

Razyn took a deep breath, and said, "Whenever you're ready."

Namine reached into her back pocket and pulled out a small notepad. She quickly turned to a random page, ripped it out, and held it forward. "I apologize in advance if the rooms after these big doors look weird. I didn't have enough time to sketch out a coherent world. With that said, on my mark. Three."

Razyn leaned forward, shuffling his feet to a proper stance.

"Two."

Razyn tensed himself, ready to run as fast as he could.

"One."

Namine placed the paper between her index and middle finger, so it was sticking out farther than either Razyn or herself.

"Go!" With that, Razyn began running toward the first floor of Castle Oblivion, with Namine sitting comfortably on his back.

oXo

After two seconds, Namine realized that they were already on the second floor, in front of the next door. "Razyn," she whimpered, "have you always been that fast?"

"No," Razyn muttered. "That's my, uh, released form. I don't really like talking about it, but it allows me to move really fast."

Namine gasped in astonishment. "Razyn, that's amazing! That means we'll be able to search the entire castle in a fraction of the time I originally planned!" Namine planted her fists on her hips and gave a triumphant laugh.

She stopped short as a thought popped into her head. "Wait. How long can you use... uh what's it called?

Razyn shifted, trying his best not to drop the overwrought Namine. "Half-Release: Lust." Razyn muttered.

"Uh... Right. How long can you use your Half-Release: Lust?"

Razyn sighed. "Right now, I can do it for seventy-two hours straight; under ideal conditions, I can go for a month or so without stopping."

"Hmm..." Namine contemplated this new information for a few moments. Razyn can run at speeds she couldn't even imagine, the castle was gigantic, and they needed to find his Nobody as soon as possible. Namine grinned. Things are starting to look brighter.

Namine reached into her back pocket and whipped out her notepad. After ripping out a page and holding it outward, she commanded, "Let's go."

oXo

"..." Arxzyn remained silent as he passed through the corridors and rooms of the castle.

_'Evading my double whilst he is in this state... It is most difficult, but not impossible.'_

Arxzyn instantly melted into the floor as a black blur raced by, coming from the direction opposite him.

_'This monster will be confronted in due time. But first, I must acquire the heart of the fallen maiden.'_

The Virtuous Crusader arose from the floor, standing fully erect for a moment before running towards the fourth floor doors.

**A/N**

**I really **_**really**_** resisted the urge to make Arxzyn say "Haters gonna hate," instead of "You can count on it."**

**I would have, too, but that's just not him, you know?**

**qinop out.**


	5. Opposing Orthodoxies

**Disclaimer: "Like a bat outta Hell..."**

_If we could return to the way we were, I would be happier than you could ever imagine._

Sitting in the epicenter of the last room was a large, white flower. This flower looked as if it had been crafted rather than grown, and yet, it was the most natural thing Namine had ever seen within the castle. Compared to the rest of the cold, desolate castle, it deserved to be worshipped. Or something. She wasn't very good at analogies.

"Are you okay, Namine? You look annoyed all of a sudden..."

"Huh!" Namine looked away from the flower to the rest of the empty room. "Oh no, I was just um..." Namine sputtered, trying to dismiss Razyn's question. "I think that your Nobody should be nearby. "

"About that..." Razyn said, his brow furrowed as he walked toward Namine. "How exactly do you know that my Nobody will be here?"

Namine's eyes widened with shock. Damn. How could she explain it? Oh, I was just following a technique that I saw you developing in my dreams. Yeah, apparently, when a Nobody is created, they are created somewhere very important to the Somebody. Which is right here, the place you promised me you would be able to prove your love for me. Oh, how did I know about something you don't even know about? That's because I have your memories inside of my heart, and they're slowly leaking out to fill the memory gap I have from being the Nobody of a Princess of Light! What, you think I'm crazy? No, no I'm not crazy! I'm serious, you put your heart into me, and turned me into a Neo Nobody, a species your boss studied and...

Namine whimpered as she leaned against the nearby wall, held her head low, and slunk deeper into despair with every thought.

Razyn swung his arm around Namine's shoulder and pulled her away from the wall. "Namine, are you sure you're okay? You are acting quite odd..."

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Really." Namine said as she tried to free herself of Razyn's grip. "Now then," she said as she rubbed her chin. She began walking towards the white flower, eyes closed. Standing there in front of the flower, she continued, "We've reached this room, the room where your Nobody is most likely to be, and he isn't here. That must mean that he's left, right?" Namine turned around, and pointed at Razyn. "What would you do?"

Razyn pointed at himself as he echoed a "Me?" He looked up to the ceiling, his brow scrunched and furrowed. "I would try to leave and go somewhere familiar, I think." After a pause, he looked Namine in the eye and added, "Yeah, somewhere I feel comfortable."

"Comfortable, huh?" He wants to be comfortable. He's a Nobody, in a strange place, with the power over hearts... Oh no. "R-Razyn? Can Heartless be turned into hearts instantly?" She remembered seeing that in one of those dreams, but Razyn could never get it to happen in less than ten hours.

Razyn stared at Namine, visibly perplexed. "What are you talking about, Namine? Heartless can't be turned into hearts."

"Oh, you poor, deluded creature."

Namine and Razyn both turned to the entrance, and saw a redheaded man in loose-fitting clothes and shades standing there. He stepped forward, taking his time as he stomped toward his goal. He inched closer and closer, keeping his gaze trained on Namine. All she could do was stand there as he walked, almost strutted towards her, her heart about to explode from the stress.

When he finally stopped, inches away from Namine, the two companions realized just what they were up against. Towering over Namine and the equally tall Razyn, this man was effortlessly holding a mighty sword in one hand while staring down Namine. "I am Arxzyn, The Virtuous Crusader." He proclaimed, his voice haunting, leaving her spellbound as he continued. "I have come here before you to take what is rightfully mine." With that said, Arxzyn pulled his left arm back, and immediately swung forward, aiming for Namine's heart.

At that moment, two things happened. First, Namine glanced to Razyn, the fear obvious in her eyes. She gave him a signal, trying to telepathicly deliver her message. Second, Arxzyn went flying as Razyn's boot was planted in his upper ribs.

Razyn landed, feet firmly planted. "Release my Lust!" He roared as he removed his cloak.

Namine watched as Razyn approached the fallen crusader. He crouched down, trying to get face to face with the new assailant. "I don't know who you are, but I will not allow you to harm Namine like that." He snarled.

Namine slumped to the ground, placing her hands behind herself to keep from falling on her back. Razyn was different; he had changed again. Before, he at least resembled himself, but now...

Now he was a _monster._ He was now standing at least twice his original height, with his limbs stretched out and thin, like he had been pulled like taffy. His hair, once a friendly blue, was now so dark it took all of a minute to realize the waist-length mane he now sported was still in fact blue. His hands were warped as well, giant palms with thin - not even bony just thin - fingers. For better or worse, his feet remained the same, or just grew in proportion to the rest of his body. His eyes, his face, was that of a mythological beast. A dark red snout protruded from his chin, sharp teeth peeking out like an alligator. From what she saw, his eyes were now equal parts orange and white, the orange fires now burning around the white circles. Save for his snout and eyes his whole face was pitch black. His entire being was either black or dark brown, all exposed due to his shed cloak, and destroyed under-clothing and armor.

In the middle of Namine's examination, Razyn turned towards her, hunched over like a man who could barely stand. Namine blushed and looked away as he walked towards her. _'This must be why it's called Lust...'_ When she looked back, she was staring Razyn in the face.

"N-Namine." Razyn said, using his old voice. "Keep a safe distance." He said, easily grabbing Namine by the waist, and lifting her onto her feet. She tried, as best she could, to walk away from the soon to be conflict.

"Heathenous beast!" Arxzyn hollered. "I shall strike you down!" Arxzyn charged forward, holding Lucifer's Catalyst high. "Taste-"

_Whump_

Arxzyn's line was never finished, because as soon as Razyn's punch landed, he was launched into the wall opposite his foe, a good half-foot deep in the white psuedo-concrete.

Razyn stared at the unconscious Nobody for a moment, before grabbing his cloak from across the room, and walking toward Namine. As he walked, he began to change again, all of his Heartless features back, much to Namine's relief. She was however a little bit tense, due to the fact that even though he was putting his cloak on, Razyn was still stark naked underneath. She turned around and took a deep breath, calming herself.

Looking back, Razyn was now fully clothed, and his Nobody was... not where he left him!

Before he could inquire about something or other, a grunt was heard and Razyn's head was nearly caved-in by the flat side of Arxzyn's sword. As Razyn crumpled to the floor, Namine gasped.

"Dastardly shade..." Arxzyn muttered as he gently kicked Razyn. Looking back at Namine, the Nobody remembered his mission. "My young damsel..." He rasped, reaching for her chest. "This will only take a moment, and it will be all but painless."

Namine sharply inhaled as Arxzyn's cold fingers traced along her breast. She closed her eyes and grit her teeth as his fingers sunk into her camisole, then her flesh. Deeper and deeper he reached, until most of his forearm was buried in her petite bosom, while he held her in his other arm. As she felt Arxzyn's digits prodding in places she wasn't quite sure were even located within her, Namine began to panic, taking quick, shallow breaths as her eyes darted to and fro, just now noticing her vision had begun to blur.

"This won't be but a moment longer..." Arxzyn said, his voice muffled. "So please, calm yourself..."

This isn't good. If she didn't do something soon she would be a Nobody again, or worse... Namine blinked a bead of sweat away from her eye as she tried to think. Looking up, she could make out the vague outline of Arxzyn, still rummaging within her. With a scream, she tried kicking Arxzyn in the leg, but found that she couldn't move. Panicking further, Namine struggled even more, but to no avail.

"Done." Arxzyn probably said, if she could hear properly. Suddenly feeling exhausted, Namine fainted with a sigh.

oXo

"I am done." Arxzyn said, holding the heart fragment close to his face. "Now, I will finally-"

_Hah..._

Arxzyn looked down at Namine, whose eyes were rolled up into her skull. Her skin had also paled and moistened from the ordeal. Arxzyn stared at her, waiting for something to happen. From behind his shades, he blinked once, twice, before dropping her and looking back at his prize. He stood and walked away from the two friends.

Arxzyn looked back to make sure that no one would come charging at him like before. Content with the condition of his enemies, he proceeded to descend Castle Oblivion with his prize in hand.

**A/N**

**Read and Revie- **Now accessing data 'FIELD β'

Heart Research Notes Grade β: Neo Nobodies - Digital Copy_

A Nobody who has taken to a foreign heart and made it their own will become a Neo Nobody.

(Under this handwritten journal entry are various clippings from one article of a science newsletter.)

"After 50 failed experiments to create a Neo Nobody, the largest specimen - #51 - took to the heart, and began to change into a Somebody almost immediately.

Known for his trademark sunglasses and dull-tipped great-sword, #51 is the only Neo Nobody ever, created by none other than the great scientist Razyn, both seen here shaking hands. (Left)

It is rumored that the prodigy James, self-proclaimed Demi-God, has been working on the Neo Nobody project in his mansion for the past two months.

After creating an altered clone based on himself, dubbed 0-2, who named itself after the great Razyn, many believe that the boy may be able to do something great in this field of research."

**A/N**

**What's Arxzyn going to do with that piece of heart?**

**Is he really going to leave Razyn and Namine sitting there?**

**That's another chapter of Anything You Need! **

**Be sure to Read and Review!**

**qinop out.**


	6. Blasphemous Zealot

**Disclaimer: Etcetra, etcetra, etc.**

_I would do anything for love; as you did._

Outside of Castle Oblivion was nothing but darkness and Mist. The ground was grey and dry, devoid of any life. The sky was filled with purple strokes, green smears and exposed black canvas, all mixing and shifting together to form a kaleidoscopic mess of a sky. It was - and still is - a wasteland where evil strives and only the strongest warriors of light can survive.

Arxzyn stood at the entrance to Castle Oblivion, taking in all of the Realm of Darkness. Arxzyn closed his eyes and threw his head back, inhaling the Mist of the dark realm. _'I can feel the ebb and flow of this forsaken world.'_ Arxzyn looked forward, eyes open once again._ 'It would prove most unwise to perform my task on unholy grounds such as these.'_

Arxzyn pocketed his treasure, making sure it was well protected, and raced off down the path of darkness.

Arxzyn stopped dead in his tracks, only a few steps away from his starting point. He began to tremble as alien thoughts began to flood his mind. Images flashed before his eyes. Voices both quiet and thunderous roared in his ears. Experiences he was not familiar with filled his mind.

Arxzyn roared as he squeezed his head, trying to keep his mind from exploding as best he could. "Stop! Stop! O Gods above please make it stop!" Arxzyn fell to his knees, still screaming, still being filled with new knowledge...

Going insane.

With one final roar, "Gods of the Heavens, Gods of the Hells, Gods of the Earths! Stop this insufferable pain, and I will carry any task thou bid of me!" Arxzyn was finally freed from his pain. He dropped his hands to the dirt, and released a sigh of relief.

No new thoughts, no more images, no more stories, no more visions; all of it was gone except for one blessedly simple statement, echoing throughout Arxzyn's damaged psyche.

_"Real and yours to keep until you die."_

Placing his hands in front of him, Arxzyn pushed himself off of the ground. He looked up, and held his arms outward. "I understand." He calmly called. "This is my atonement and the price I have to pay for my favor." Arxzyn lowered his arms and his gaze, turned around, and ran back into Castle Oblivion, his new goal set.

oXo

Namine and Razyn were still lying on the floor of the flower room, unconscious and beaten. Strewn across the floor, just steps away from Razyn, were strips of metal, leather, and denim. Both had taken quite a bit of damage from The Virtuous Crusader, Arxzyn, and were left to perish together.

Namine's back arched as she took a sharp breath. A quick glance around told her that her vision was slowly returning, and there was a slight ringing in her ear, but she was fine. She was...

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Namine stared at the cavity in her chest, and the object sitting in the middle of the crevice. She gulped, her eyes wide with terror, as she stared at her own heart, the jewel shining brightly in the fake light of the castle corridor.

It was a horrible, eerie sight. Her heart was sitting there, a good third of it snapped off, and everything around it was just scraped away. It looked nothing like what she imagined it would look like. The walls were not solid, they were quivering and shaking as the heart sat there, trembling. There was no blood, there was no meat; there was just her heart, and a shifting black, white, and grey mess surrounding it. Namine closed her eyes as tight as she could and raised her hand to her mouth as she felt bile begin to rise. Why, why, why, why... She felt like she was going to cry if she didn't puke first.

It was when she felt the cold hand on her shoulder did she realize that someone else was in the room with her. She gasped and looked to her left, keeping her right eye closed as her left eye focused on Razyn. He was looking at her with a dejected look in his eyes, as if seeing her like this saddened him more than shocked him.

"Namine, can you try to stand?" Razyn softly asked, holding his hand on her chest, blocking her view nicely.

Namine opened her eye and answered with a simple "Yes." Without needing any help from Razyn, Namine stood, smiling as Razyn gave her the once over. With a sigh, Razyn, now wearing a less worried mask, extended a hand to Namine. Still smiling, Namine grasped the hand, only to be pulled closer to Razyn. "R-Razyn? What are you doing?" Namine pleaded, her blushing face only inches away from her friend's.

"Namine..." Razyn whispered, "Focus on me, okay?" After she mumbled some generic answer, Razyn continued. "Do you remember that piece of paper you said I dropped?"

"Ye-Yeah, of course I do." Namine replied in a hushed tone.

"Do you remember what it said?"

"Yes. I do."

"Could you promise me something? Will you follow those instructions?"

Namine cocked an eyebrow as she tried to register his request. "Huh?" Razyn gently squeezed her hands as he calmly repeated himself. "I... I still don't understand..." Namine admitted as she furrowed her brow in defeat.

Razyn grimaced before smiling again and leaning closer. "Don't Cry." Razyn pleaded to the now-distraught Namine.

"Okay..."

"Promise me, Namine."

"I promise."

"You promise what?"

"I promise that I won't cry."

"**...**"

Razyn backed up a bit, and gave a sigh of relief. "Just remember: don't cry." He said, sounding different than usual.

"Okay."

"Don't cry." Razyn repeated, sounding less lucid.

"Okay." Namine firmly repeated.

"Don't. Cry." Razyn repeated, this time sounding just... unstable. Namine wasn't sure what was happening, but she didn't like it. She was about to ask him just what he thought he was doing, when by pure chance, she looked down at their feet.

To be more specific, _her _feet. Razyn's legs stopped at just below his knees, and were disappearing little by little. Not exactly disappearing; disappearing meant that they would be gone without a trace. No, his legs were turning into black sand, and flying straight into Namine's heart...

Namine's eyes widened as realization dawned on her. She looked back up to Razyn's face to find his eyes were closed. "You can't do this!" She shouted, startling Razyn. "There must be another way!" Razyn looked down on her with melancholy in his eyes. He shook his head, and closed his eyes again. Namine gazed down; Razyn's waist was starting to disappear. "Razyn! Listen to me!"

"**...**"

"Listen to me!"

"**...**"

"Razyn!"

"Namine," Razyn firmly said, giving his aforementioned friend a start. "You promised me you wouldn't cry, right?"

Namine stared at Razyn as if he had gone mad. "Yes, I did." She answered the still blind teen while trying to pull him by the hands that she was still holding. "But that doesn't matter! I'm going to-"

"Remember your promise, okay?" Razyn said, his voice cracking. Even though he was smiling - almost blissfully - Namine could tell that Razyn had lost his composure; the fact that this was most likely the first time in his life only filled her with further dread.

All notions of this little stunt being a joke were far gone as Namine checked the progress of her confidant; as if he had finally given up, Razyn's disappearing had accelerated to the point where the ash was no longer ash. It was now a string, quickly unwinding from Razyn like yarn and flowing straight into Namine.

Namine reached up, holding onto Razyn's cheeks as he disappeared. "Please don't go," she whispered, bringing the fading face closer, and closer. Maybe she imagined it; maybe it didn't happen; all Namine knew was that that one instance was the single most happiest moment in her life, and that this right now would forever be remembered as the most wretched moment of her life.

Namine fell to her knees, and for the first time ever, roared to the heavens in rage and sorrow, eyes wide and trembling. When she finally stopped, she felt empty.

_'If I could change my luck...'_ She thought after her bout of frustration. Namine chuckled and grinned like a cynic.

Today was crappy. This whole adventure was crappy...

With that, Namine slumped backward, accidentally hitting her head against the white floor of the flower room.

"Ow..."

**A/N**

**Sometimes I think to myself, "Can I write X type of story...? Naw, that's impossible!"**

**And yet here I am, writing a cynical tale for Namine/Razyn's backstory... By the Gods, I hope the others don't turn out as depressing as this one...**

**Read and Review!**

**qinop out.**


	7. Ordained Sin

**Disclaimer: The following chapter contains words. Keep out of reach of children. Thank You.**

Namine lay on her back in the flower room, staring at the seemingly infinite ceiling. her arms were spread outward, and her legs were folded under her, a reminder that she fell back from a kneeling position. Accompanying her in that otherwise empty room were strips of leather, scraps of denim, and twisted metal bands and plates.

"**...**"

The only thing that can be heard is Namine's slow, deep breathing, and the occasional sigh.

Namine furrowed her brow before rolling onto her belly, lifting herself up slightly, and stood. No use in sitting around and moping. She rubbed the back of her leg with her foot then started to rub her chin as she brainstormed. She needed a plan. Now.

Or not. She dropped her hands and stuffed them into her pockets. This whole adventure was fun and all, but she had failed, and now it was over. Razyn was gone, Arxzyn was probably worlds away by now, and she was stuck in the Organization's clutches. If they decided to stop by, that is, but still...

This story is over. It was a fun ride, but there's no use in staying here with all of these scraps of Razyn nearby... Namine walked toward the exit, her eyes closed and her lips pursed in a sour manner.

"Eh?" Was the only thing she could say before she found herself falling backward after slipping on some huge thing she stepped on. In the brief moment of falling, she moved on instincts she never knew she possessed before; she twisted herself one-hundred-eighty degrees, mid-air, and threw her arms out to catch herself. From that position, she launched her being into the air while tucking her head into her knees, and spun twice before she finally stuck a landing that would have impressed any gymnast.

"**...**" She blinked. Twice. Namine looked at her self, inspecting this and that, and muttered, "The heck was that?" Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the culprit: a book.

After picking it up, she realized it was the book Razyn stole from that Heartless on the Crux Road. First and foremost, it was covered with Heartless emblems, from it's spine to the covers. The front had three interconnected emblems, and one embossed on the back. Printed on the spine was Ignes Fatui: Abysmal Descent, along with III printed over another Heartless Emblem. The book was black, with red text throughout, and the various emblems maintaining their usual color scheme.

Now that she thought about it, that Heartless might have belonged to that one member of Organization XIII. He did carry a book around with him... Maybe this is the Heartless version of his Nobody book? No use wondering about it now...

Namine opened the book out of curiosity, and flipped through the pages. It looked more like a novel than a weapon. Maybe-

_Fwip._

Namine looked down at the slip of paper that fell out of the book. She placed her thumb in between the pages of the book so as not to lose the place if it was important, and crouched down to pick up the note.

_Take magic book from VI._

_Bring back to boss for 0-4._

_Pick up dry cleaning._

Namine took a deep breath, and chuckled sarcastically. "Ha. Ha. Very funny." She placed the paper back in it's place and closed the book. She held the book out and examined it with a contemplative gaze. She had seen many of her captives do this, maybe now that she owned the book, she could...

Namine giggled. Yeah, right. She stuffed the book under her arm and continued on her way, making sure to watch where she was going. _'...0-4? Isn't Razyn 0-2? How many of them are there? His boss? There is so much about Razyn I never got to know.'_

Namine stopped at the doorway and turned around. The room was still as messy as it was moments ago, minus one book and one girl. She pulled the book out and opened it to a random page, and read it out loud, not really knowing why.

"...And so the abyss consumed him and he came out a form most warp and unknown..." Namine looked up from the book, still pointing to the passage she was reading. "Wait, that's not right... isn't it supposed to be 'warped' instead of 'warp'?" She asked, as if the flower or trash could answer.

But instead of giving an answer, the various pieces of trash and refuge started to collapse in on themselves, while balls of darkness ballooned over them. Namine watched on in disbelief as the remains of her late friend's armour ate itself.

Namine stood there, dumbstruck for a moment, before grinning. She closed the book and held it in both hands by the spine against her belly as she walked through the doorway. As she walked through the thirteenth floor, she began laughing to herself. Slowly at first, but by the time she reached the empty Thirteenth room, she was laughing like a madman.

She had a plan.

oXo

_'My mission is clear.'_ Arxzyn thought over and over as he ran up the stairs to the seventh floor, chest heaving. His brow was glistening with sweat as he cleared the stairs. Arxzyn stopped running, holding his knees so his legs wouldn't buckle from exhaustion. Arxzyn snapped his gaze up and breathed, "I won't let something like this stop me!"

The Virtuous Crusader stood, and continued to run toward his goal.

And tripped on a discarded trinket.

"**...**"

Without saying a word, Arxzyn pushed himself off of the ground, swiped the trinket, stood up, and brushed off his tunic. Raising his shades, he examined the trinket. It was a necklace; that much was clear. It was golden, composed of two feet or so of minuscule links.

Arxzyn tossed the necklace over his shoulder, and continued walking toward Razyn and Namine.

Arxzyn stopped, only a couple of steps away.

"**...**"

Arxzyn continued walking toward his destination, briefly swinging his new necklace on his index finger before stuffing it in his tunic's right pocket.

oXo

Namine grinned as she locked eyes with Arxzyn. The Virtuous Fool came back! This made her job so much easier!

"Namine!" Arxzyn called out, running to close the distance between the two. When he was finally standing right in front of her, he sighed and said, "I've finally found you."

Namine looked up at Arxzyn, showing apathy in the Virtuous Crusader's troubles. "Yup." She said as she summoned her borrowed book, briefly brandishing it before opening it to a random page.

"So..." Arxzyn muttered, slightly confused by Namine's actions. He cleared his throat and continued. "I would like to escort you out of this dangerous place, to somewhere safer. If you don't mind." Arxzyn stated, holding his hand out, as if offering his proposal.

"No thanks." Namine mumbled as she thumbed through that book of hers.

_'This girl... What has happened to her?'_ Arxzyn thought. _'From what I have taken, she is supposed to be cheerful and sunny... But she stands before me, melancholy.'_

Arxzyn watched Namine read the book in her left hand with great interest. The book made him feel uneasy; it being in Namine's possession unnerved him a whole lot more. '_It reeks of darkness, and Pride rapidly permeates from it. If I am to complete my mission, I must destroy that book. No good will come of it being near her.'_

"I cannot just leave you here." Arxzyn firmly stated as he straightened himself. "As a paladin, it is my duty to ensure that you are escorted to a safer location." With that said, Arxzyn grabbed Namine by her free arm and began to gently pull. Namine followed him, still reading the book as they descended the stairs to the sixth floor.

oXo

They safely passed through the placid worlds Namine had created just fifteen minutes or so beforehand. _'It's funny,'_ Arxzyn thought while they walked through the fourth floor, _'How all of this happened in such a short time.'_ All things considered, his mission was progressing quite well at that point.

It wasn't until they reached the third floor, that Arxzyn heard it, something that he wished he wouldn't have to hear:

Namine was _chanting_.

That broke his calm. Arxzyn stopped walking, Namine following suit. He turned around and faced Namine, who was still holding the volume, and still chanting. She was bobbing her head back and forth with every foreign syllable, and each mysterious note made Arxzyn feel sicker and sicker.

"Namine." Arxzyn said.

She ignored him, and kept chanting. Arxzyn balled his fists. _'This might be difficult.'_

"Namine," Arxzyn tried again, this time with a firm tone, "Give me the book."

But she still went on, chanting, praying, _preparing_. Arxzyn gulped. _'She _needs_ to stop.'_

"Give me the book!" Arxzyn shouted, before trying to tear the tome away from Namine when she still wouldn't react.

"NO!" Namine shrieked as soon as Arxzyn placed his hands on the lexicon. She quickly jerked it away and jumped back just as fast. "I'll never let you take it!" Namine shrieked as she held her lexicon close to her chest, her arms defensively held across it.

As Arxzyn watched, Namine held it out and brushed the front cover while muttering, "Not like you took Razyn." Namine smiled blissfully.

"Namine..." Arxzyn called, slowly reaching his hand out, and inching towards the girl. She snapped her attention to him, giving him a start. "Easy, I just want to help." Arxzyn calmly uttered, while still inching towards Namine.

Namine just stared at him with empty eyes, still clutching the volume. Arxzyn continued to inch towards Namine until he was only a few paces from her. When he was close enough, he placed his right hand on Namine's shoulder. His big hand held most of her shoulder blade, and his thumb was able to reach her collarbone. He could easily hold her there if need be. He spoke to her, trying to ask the girl who still wore an emotionless mask. "Will you give me the book?"

Namine looked up at Arxzyn. "Never." She hissed. Without looking away from her enemy, she held her book open in both hands and howled, "Lo, not even great meteor can resist the grasp of my darkness most pitch and foul!"

Arxzyn and Namine stood there in silence. Namine pointed up before a rumbling started to shake the halls. Arxzyn looked up, and saw a huge rock shrouded by flames falling towards them, threatening to crush them both.

**A/N**

**In his early stages, Arxzyn always spoke like a fourteenth century poet, and I never knew why. He speaks normally now, and in other projects, but I could never figure out why. So I decided to have his speech patterns change when he became a Neo Nobody. Though, he'll revert back to it every now and then as a bit of a verbal tic.**

**Read and Review!**

**qinop out.**


	8. Resplendent Heretic

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING. Good day.**

Without looking away from her enemy, Namine held her book in both hands and howled, "Lo, not even great meteor can resist the grasp of my darkness most pitch and foul!"

Arxzyn and Namine stood there, motionless in tense silence. When the entire room started shaking, to Arxzyn's surprise, Namine pointed to the ceiling. Arxzyn paused, his cheeks rising a bit, probably narrowing his eyes, before looking upward. Namine smiled when his jaw dropped at the sight of the giant meteor hurtling towards them both.

Namine laughed as the meteor descended upon the Virtuous Crusader. Due to the laws of magic, she would be unharmed, but he wouldn't be so lucky...

Arxzyn sweeped Namine up by her shoulders and waist and rolled to the farthest side of the room, away from the meteor. It crashed into the floor, creating an immense explosion. Namine looked on in wonder as Arxzyn writhed in pain from the heat, sound, and debris of her supposedly failed attack. It would probably bake any normal person alive, and was strong enough to take down any lesser fiend.

Arxzyn stooped a bit, gasping for air after the ordeal. He was almost instantly drenched in sweat, his light armor now proving to be quite a grievence. His shades threatened to drip away from his face before snapping back to their original form. Namine giggled from her cradle as she watched him suffer, earning her a sneer. Namine's expression turned sour when Arxzyn looked at her like that. He better not try anything; this was her revenge!

Namine just got angrier when he started _laughing_ at her. Namine pulled her legs toward her chest, just against the book, and jumped away from Arxzyn's grip. She spun in the air and gracefully landed several feet away on one foot. Despite her angelic landing, she returned to her previous disposition and violently erupted, "What's so funny!"

Arxzyn clutched his sides as he howled with laughter, just mocking her. She shifted the book to her right hand, holding it against her waist with her forearm. She glared at him. She almost cracked it open to deal another dose of magic when he finally stopped.

"What's so _funny_?" Namine asked yet again, the frustration evident in her tone as she stressed the 'funny'.

Arxzyn sighed and shook his head. "It's like this, my princess-"

"Don't you _dare_ call me that!" Namine shouted, to which Arxzyn held up his hands in defeat.

"Sorry, sorry." He said, before lowering his hands. "It's like this- I was given a mission by the gods. If I completed this mission, I wouldn't go insane from the torrent of memories I acquired when I borrowed a piece of your heart." Namine's scowl deepened at Arxzyn's choice of words. Instead of chastising him for his words, she let him continue.

"What was this mission of yours?"

"More or less, I have to help you finish your quest."

Namine scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Good luck. Razyn's gone; my quest is over." She held the book against her chest. "I set out on this quest to help convince Razyn that he loved me. I succeded, I could tell, I saw it in his eyes when he sacrificed himself for me!" Namine said, raising her voice quite abit towards the end. When she continued, her tone was much more calm. She looked off to the side, letting her hair partially cover her face as she softly spoke. "I finished my quest. I'm going back to Twilight Town, with or without Razyn, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

Namine, now looking down, dragged her feet to the second floor stairs.

"I wouldn't be so sure..." Arxzyn said as he drew his blade. He ran to Namine's front and pointed Lucifer's Catalyst at her. "I'm not letting you leave without a fight."

Namine, standing only a few inches from the tip of Arxzyn's weapon opened _Ignes Fatui Volume 3_. Out of her peripheral vision, she noticed Arxzyn brace himself. She turned the pages until she found something suitable to the situation. Then she drawled another passage in monotone. "In this cold of darkness, I would most graciously accept the legions of Netherworld flare."

Namine watched on as a red fireball the size of her head slowly propelled itself toward Arxzyn. It was kind of weak looking, at least by her layman's view. But it should at least distract him, being on fire and all, while she made for the exit...

Arxzyn, meanwhile, stood his ground and held his blade paralell, preparing to shield himself from the attack. The fireball moved forward, crawling towards him before speeding up considerably. Namine didn't expect this, nor did Arxzyn, and in a split second, the ball had tripled in size, connected with Arxzyn, and detonated all in one fell swoop.

Namine didn't stand around to gawk. She circled around the Virtuous Crater and bolted for the second floor. Namine could feel a smile cross her face as she ran with all her might. Seeing that fool explode was so much fun, she wanted to see it again. Too bad that fool is gone though. At least now she can-

_Whump_

Namine stopped dead when she slammed face-first into Arxzyn's not-so-soft chest. Then she fell back on her butt. "Ow..." She murmered as she rubbed her sore end. Looking up, Namine noticed Arxzyn's clothes were blackened and his apparently magical shades were melting again. They quickly snapped back into place when he bent over and tried to scoop her up.

Namine grimaced when Arxzyn's left arm wrapped around her waist. Her free hand snapped back to the grimoire and squeezed it tightly as she rolled out of his grasp and jumped to her feet before sprinting to the stairs.

"Namine!" Arxzyn roared. But she was long gone.

oXo

Namine inhaled deeply. She was short of breath. Sure, she made it to the ground floor, but that run took alot out of her. Even if using the book's magic didn't drain her, she was postitive that it felt heavier than it did before. So she (gently) placed it on the floor in front of her and grabbed her knees as she panted.

That fool should be coming any minute now, so she had no time to lose. She whipped out her note pad and a pencil and sketched some scenery across five pages. First a valley fillled with grass. Second, a desert with sloping dunes. Then a forest, crowded with trees. After, a tundra with a raging blizzard. Finally an empty Void. When she had finished, she had at last caught her breath.

She walked up the stairs and slammed the five pages against the door, the 'cards' disappearing instantly.

Namine sighed and grabbed at the breast of her dress. As she rapidly pulled on her dress in an effort to cool off, she noticed that the hole in her dress was repaired at some point. She really didn't care how it happened, but she was just happy that she wasn't running around liable to have a wardrobe malfunction at any moment.

"**...**"

Namine closed her eyes and breathed slowly while she cooled herself off. Okay, the situation is under control. Under control. Everything is going according to-

Namine's eyes shot open and she stopped playing with her dress. She listened. Footsteps. _Heavy _footsteps, coming from behind her. She turned around and heard a muffled roar. It sounded like Arxzyn, only angrier. With a yelp, she spun around and ran as fast she could, almost tripping over herself when she tried to scoop up _Ignes Fatui_.

When Namine was halfway across the room, she ventured a glance at the door behind her, only to stop at the sight she was greeted with. The footsteps she heard weren't from Arxzyn running. The sound was from him slamming against the doors. And it was working. The doors were shaking with every push, and the hinges were starting to come loose. Namine knew she should run, but she was frozen there. That man isn't going to stop. He wants her so badly, he's willing to destroy the magical rooms she locked him in.

She wanted to tell him to stop, but it was too late. Namine looked on as Arxzyn sliced the doors diagonally and jumped through them, partly propelled by the rapid release of compressed magics which flooded the room in endless swirls of every color imaginable.

"Namine!" Arxzyn screamed as he flew through the air towards Namine.

**A/N**

**Remember back when Arxzyn sounded impetant and mocking to these gods he now so adamently obeys? He wasn't being a being a little punk, he was actually trying to prove how brave and strong he was to his rulers. Just in case you were wondering...**

**If you stick around for my later stories, **_**Ignes Fatui: The Descent**_** will appear in a later tale.**

**qinop out.**


	9. Psalm of the Cardinal Shade

**Disclaimer: I have written a disclaimer before.**

Namine panted as she ran. When she reached the middle of the first floor room, she turned her head to venture a glance at the door behind her, only to stop dead in her tracks at the sight that greeted her. The doors, the only things holding back the magic of the room beyond, were being bombarded by Arxzyn.

Just when she was about to turn and run, Namine was almost blown off her feet by the shock wave of magic that flooded the room when Arxzyn finished it all with one mighty slice. He jumped through the doors, holding his legs close and his arms wide as he was propelled through the air by the rampant magic. Magic which was still flooding the room with colors of all kinds of hues and shades, all mixing together in a maelstrom of pallets.

"Namine!" Arxzyn screamed as he flew through the air towards her.

Namine spun around and ran to the exit-

When Lucifer's Catalyst stabbed the floor just in front of her, effectively ruining her head start. Arxzyn placed his hand on her shoulder, leaned forward and tore his sword from the white landing. "Now Namine," He said as he set his sword into the ground next to him, "I want you to come with me to-" Arxzyn let out an "Oof!" when Namine elbowed him in the gut, before spinning around and opening the accursed tome.

Namine took a deep breath and roared, "After all that has transpired throughout my quest, I now understand that the holly ones I once worshiped have all but deserted me!" After she finished reading the last word, an orb of pure light burst from the spine of the book and raced toward Arxzyn. When it was half way, the orb dispersed into seven smaller white balls, traveling fast enough to create ghost trails. As soon as the orbs descended upon Arxzyn, however, they scattered into all directions, some circling him, while others haphazardly bounced through the room.

"Ha! It looks like you chose the wrong spell!" Arxzyn triumphantly shouted. That's when all of the balls stopped moving completely. Everything paused, even the constantly flowing magics in the room. Namine looked first at Arxzyn, then each of the holy balls.

Namine raised her hand up high, and brought it down to point at Arxzyn. "Go!" She commanded.

Arxzyn jumped back as a ball crashed and exploded into the spot where he once stood. He jumped over a low-flying one, letting it crash into the wall behind him. That's when three came at him at once. He evaded the worst of it, but all three still grazed his chest, back, and left shoulder and popped, which luckily had no effect. He raised his sword to block the sixth, and raised his blade to bat away the seventh...

With his first sword, Fallen Angel's Reign. _'What! I still have that stray soul, why did it change back?'_ Confused but undeterred, Arxzyn raised his blade and sliced the seventh ball in half. Arxzyn held his sword over his shoulder, and looked to Namine. As he walked, he started to grow blurry. Everything in fact, began to grow blurred and distorted.

She couldn't really be sure what happened next. After that last spell, everything went hazy.

oXo

Arxzyn examined his blade. It must have been the holy lights that changed it. It was no longer the blue menace he had used until now. Nor had it taken it's original silver form. No, now it was completely different.

It was a blade, that much was certain, and it did have a hilt, with a guard of sorts. But that was where it's similarities to an average sword ended. All parts of the sword met at the center of an aqua crystal orb. The blade itself was of average length, and viewing the flat side reveals it to be convex in shape, and expertly crafted into the hilt within the crystal. The curved daggers that act as guards jut from either side of the crystal, curving out and upward toward the tip of the main blade. The hilt itself appeared to be a wooden rod wrapped in worn purple cloth and topped with a melted rubber pommel. All three blades had an amethyst color to them with an orange gradient toward the edges.

"Celestial's Respite..." Arxzyn mumbled. He sliced the air with his new blade and nodded at it's overall improvement on Lucifer's Catalyst. In an instant, he could tell it was lighter, faster, and magick resistant. It would prove most useful in this skirmish.

Suddenly remembering his task, Arxzyn turned to Namine, who was slumped on the floor. She had her head held low, and still held that accursed tome. Arxzyn strolled to her, holding his new sword in one hand, wary of any sneak-attacks. "Namine." He said. Her head shot up, and Arxzyn jumped back a few feet.

Namine smiled at Arxzyn, while trying not to let on how weak she felt. It made her look wilted. "So, you think you've beat me, huh?" Namine said as she tried to pick herself up without pushing against the book. Arxzyn sighed and gave her a few minutes to stand before replying. When she could finally stand, she stared Arxzyn down while holding her book.

Arxzyn lowered his blade. "My goal never was to hurt you." Namine scoffed at this, but Arxzyn just continued. "My mission was to bring you home and-"

"The only home I ever had was with Razyn!" Namine interrupted, wide-eyed and energetic. "And you took him."

"I understand that." Arxzyn said in a calm tone. "But you have to understand that you can't stay here by yourself forever."

"I will." Namine crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "I am." With that, she sat down and crossed her legs.

"You can't."

"Says who?"

"Says me."

"What are you going to do about it?"

Arxzyn raised his sword up high and ran towards Namine. "This!" The Virtuous Crusader swung his blade down against her, attempting to smack her with the flat side and knock her out cold. But she rolled out of the way, easily dodging his blow.

Namine jumped to her feet only to be assaulted by Arxzyn's mighty blade. Arxzyn was more than happy to realize that his new sword was worlds more aerodynamic than his old weapons as he swung the flat side of his blade against Namine. First, he tried batting at the sides of her head and ribs a couple of times, only to be dodged again and again. Then with a mighty roar, he brought it down, trying again to hit her square in the head.

Namine giggled from Arxzyn's right. "Aren't you getting tired yet? Why don't you give up, it's no use~"

Arxzyn stood upright and planted the tip of his blade into the floor. He smirked at her. "I don't think you comprehend the kind of power I have." He said. "A couple of magick tricks and gymnastics aren't going to be enough to dissuade me. I report to a higher power and gain strength as such." Arxzyn nodded toward his sword as if to prove his point.

Namine reared her head back and howled with laughter. She looked back down at Arxzyn. "Gods? Really? You think that some people high atop a mountain, or sitting in the clouds are helping you?" Namine smirked and narrowed her eyes. "Man, you're more delusional than I thought."

Arxzyn shrugged. He was about to retort when Namine opened the book again. He pulled his blade from the floor and held it in front of himself, bracing for the impact of the attack.

Then came the incantation. "I have learned that ultima power awaits those who venture beyond the blanket of security that is the realm of Light." Namine looked up from the book at Arxzyn, who was still defending himself from the oncoming onslaught of magic. A blue-white glob oozed out of the spine of the grimoire. This glob detached itself from it's magickal origin and floated towards it's target. While floating, it crystallized into a transparent fist-sized blue globe. The orb stopped a meter in front of Arxzyn.

Arxzyn, the wary man that he was, took a step back, away from the stationary attack. But when he stepped back, the ball moved forward. Arxzyn took another step, and another. Sure enough, with every step back, the ball would move forward the same distance. _'If I don't move, it can't hit me. All I have to do-'_ Arxzyn's train of thought came to a halt when the ball before him started moving on its own.

"What?" Arxzyn shouted as the globe gained considerable speed. He brought up his sword and placed on of his hands against the back of it to brace himself should the attack occur without contact. _'This is too random.'_ Arxzyn thought as he continued to back away from the orb. _'All magick follows a pattern of sorts; spells don't work this way...'_ Arxzyn's eyebrows raised in curiosity. _'I'm sorry his life ended, but right now I'm glad I've acquired that scientist's memories.'_

_'I must be missing something. Moved at a slow speed, then stopped, then when I moved it followed. But now, it's moving on it's own, and faster than before, but not as fast as I am...?'_ Arxzyn's eyes widened with his revelation.

"Stupid." Namine said as the orb made contact with Arxzyn. It exploded with a mighty force which created a crater in not only the floor but the ceiling and walls closest to Arxzyn. The explosion itself was a sphere of cycling energy, all of it spinning, whipping and rotating in perfect unison like clockwork. All of it trying to rip it's target apart in the most painful manner possible. In spite of all this, between the material Castle Oblivion was made from, and the fact that Arxzyn wasn't making a peep, no sound could be heard in the entire room.

Namine watched all of this with dead eyes. She swiveled and walked away. "Just because you figured out that it moved with _me_ doesn't mean anything."

Namine stopped and looked over her shoulder at the now dissipating storm. At the prone form of Arxzyn. She stayed and watched him for a few moments before walking back to the front door.

"HAH!"

Arxzyn slammed his right heel behind himself for support as Namine went spinning through the air. He repositioned his frame so his now bare shoulders were properly aligned. Ramming her like that wasn't something he wanted to do, but it had to be done. He removed his damaged shades and flicked away the ruin.

As Namine flew threw the air, she somehow spun a bit so that when she landed, her back was the first to hit the floor without stopping. She quickly started to roll a short ways away from her landing point, into the crater Arxzyn inhabited only a moment ago.

That is when Arxzyn noticed it; she jumped mid-roll and released something that caught her. Something came out of her and was holding her in it's hands. It was holding the unconscious Namine in it's arms, trying in vain to bid her awake. When it couldn't awake her, it looked up at Arxzyn, it's angry black and orange eyes startling the Virtuous Crusader.

"ARXZYN!" It roared loud enough to shake the room. It gently placed Namine's body on the floor and ran to Arxzyn with more speed than any mere fiend could ever try to muster. Arxzyn barely had enough time to call forth his sword - which it dodged - to defend himself. As it held back Celestial's Respite with just the balls of it's fingers, it growled at Arxzyn much like a beast would.

"It's good," Arxzyn grunted, "To see you, too." Arxzyn lunged at the monster, forcing it to jump away and give him some space.

It stood there, chest heaving, serrated teeth bared, eyes wide with anger, and clenching and releasing it's fists with unbridled rage. It was barefoot and, if memory serves - so much has happened - undoubtedly naked underneath the tattered cloak it wore.

"Razyn."

The Heartless roared.

**A/N**

**Gasp! Razyn is back! Huzzah!**

**What will he do?**

**How will it do it?**

**Read and Review!**

**qinopt out.**


	10. Firmament's Schism

**Disclaimer: It would be so nice if things made sense for a change.**

Razyn stood there.

Watching him.

Razyn threw his arms in the air, and a dome of pure energy surrounded them both, preventing escape.

Razyn dropped his arms and began walking around the edge of the dome. Arxzyn mimicked the motion, still holding Celestial's Respite in both hands. But unlike Razyn, Arxzyn watched his enemy, where as Razyn was just walking around the circle while letting his body hang freely. Razyn continued to walk, dragging his feet as he carried himself around the edge of the barrier. Arxzyn continued to watch him, careful not to be caught by surprise.

Razyn began to speak, adding noise besides his shuffling feet to the room. "Why did you do it?" He asked while looking at Arxzyn out of the corner of his eye.

Arxzyn continued to walk, keeping his gaze fixed on Razyn. "Do what?" He asked.

Razyn snapped his head toward Arxzyn and quickly replied with "Don't play stupid!"

"It was a mission from the Gods-" Arxzyn tried to explain.

"Don't give me that, either." Razyn interrupted. "The Boss said that thanks to our contract, as long as we pray, we don't have to give servi-" Razyn continued trudging along.

"I'm not one of you." Arxzyn corrected. "I happily follow the Gods' orders and give them my service for what they have given me." Arxzyn continued walking.

Razyn shook his head. "So they told you to hurt my best friend." Razyn stopped walking and faced Arxzyn. His walk had apparently given him a chance to recover, because he no longer stood hunched over from exhaustion. He stood upright, staring down the taller man.

"No," Arxzyn replied, still facing Razyn, "They merely requested that I repair her heart and bring her to Garret. Sakkaku to be exact." Arxzyn remained poised as Razyn stood still across from him.

Razyn lowered his gaze, allowing his hair to fall into his face. "So you..." He mumbled.

Arxzyn cocked his head to hear a little better. "Come again?" He asked.

Razyn's gaze snapped to Arxzyn. He arched his back, and held out his exposed claws as he roared, "So you decided to hurt her yourself!"

"No!" Arxzyn tried to protest to the now untraceable Razyn. Arxzyn looked this way and that while he heard rapid footsteps from all directions. He held up his blade just in time to deflect a claw swipe from Razyn.

Arxzyn raced to the center of the ersatz arena and put his hand behind Celestial's Respite trying to use it as a shield. His eyes darted from behind his shades, trying to find the Lustful Heartless. Every few seconds, he would spot a blur and a slash would come at him from some arbitrary direction, and he would react by swiftly blocking. When that failed, he tried to dodge the attack, avoiding the worst.

After an eternity of defending and dodging, Arxzyn noticed his enemy begin to slow. Or his eyes started to grow accustomed to Razyn's speed. He couldn't tell which. But he knew time had given him an advantage.

Arxzyn ran forward and swung his blade down on Razyn. Razyn, undaunted, deflected the attack and swiped at Arxzyn, who quickly countered. Arxzyn flicked his wrist and tried cleaving Razyn in two, only to have the shade backflip over the attack. As soon as Razyn landed, he arched himself forward and began slashing away at Arxzyn, trying to force him back on the defensive. But after just a few seconds of slicing, Arxzyn batted away Razyn's claws and brought Celestial's Respite down onto his crown.

Only to have Razyn catch the blade with the very tips of his claws. The resounding twang echoed off the outside walls and brought a silence with it as the two warriors struggled against each other's might.

"**...**"

With a grunt, Arxzyn jumped back and poised himself to deliver the finishing blow.

With a low growl, Razyn leaped away, and readied himself to tear his enemy apart.

Arxzyn straightened his back and held his sword in both hands, above his right shoulder.

Razyn leaned forward and held his arms straight back, spreading his claws wide.

Arxzyn and Razyn roared and ran to each other, ready to finish the fight.

oXo

Namine stood in the center of the crater. Even though she was still slightly dazed, she could tell that a battle was taking place just within that dome. Namine swallowed and walked out of the crater, and to the blue-static wall. _'Who is in there?'_ She thought as she swept her hand across the dome's surface. She looked up, left, then right. It went all the way to the ceiling and completely blocked the hallway.

_'Looks like I have no choice.'_ Namine thought as she took a step back. _'I'll have to wait this fight out. After all, it's none of my business, so why interfere?'_ Namine closed her eyes and casually walked away from the barrier.

She was about to sit down and rest when she heard it. Two screams. She spun around, her eyes wide with fright. One was obviously Arxzyn; she'd heard him yelling enough to recognize it in an instant. She wasn't worried about him, though. That loon was the least of her problems.

It was that other voice.

"Razyn!" Namine ran to the blue wall and frantically pounded on it, trying desperately to get through. When that didn't work, when tears started welling up in her eyes, when she had almost lost hope, she thought of something.

Sniveling and wiping the tears away from her face, Namine stepped away from the dome and uttered the three words that saved her from her first encounter with Heartless.

"Release my Blasphemy."

The world froze. The sounds stopped. The wall's quivering frame stilled itself.

And Blasphemy came. Just like before, he was transparent. Only this time, Namine could make out more features. He was just like Razyn, just slightly off, like his nose or his chin. He did share the same blue hair, which was greased back, and he wore the same cloak. He had his arms crossed behind his back and floated in front of Namine.

He leaned in a bit and grinned. "It is good to see you again princess." He was like a child, in tone and demeanor. "How can I help you? What wish do you have?"

Namine smiled and held her hand over her heart. She thought really hard. Knowing her luck, she needed to word it just right, or else she might get killed or something-

"No need to think so hard." Blasphemy said, wagging his finger. "I'm not some djinn; I'm not going to trick you." He crossed his arms behind his head and floated sideways, like he was lying on his side. "Just say what you want, and you'll have it."

Namine looked up at Blasphemy and nodded. Then she looked at the dome and donned a mask of confidence. She looked him square in the face and declared, "I want those two to stop fighting."

"Mm?" Blasphemy 'stood up,' turned around and saw the dome. "Ah! Would you look at that! A class α Twilight Barrier!" He rubbed his chin as he examined the semi-transparent blue walls. "And here I thought the guy wasn't even paying attention..."

Namine sighed as the Demi-God fawned over the only thing keeping her from her true love. She cleared her throat, and Blasphemy immediately tore away from the barrier.

"Don't worry, don't worry." He said, trying to wave away any of Namine's concerns. "Time's stopped, so there's no reason to fret." With that said, he turned around and pointed at the barrier. An opening just big enough for Namine appeared.

Namine looked at the golden arc standing against the blue sphere and then at Blasphemy. She smiled and thanked him before running into the battlefield, leaving him behind.

"I always thought..." Blasphemy rasped as he turned around and floated away from the dome. "That the Princess of Twilight would be a little bit colder." He snapped his fingers and vanished from that world.

oXo

With a grunt, Arxzyn jumped back and poised himself to deliver the finishing blow.

With a low growl, Razyn leaped away, and readied himself to tear his enemy apart.

Namine ran to the center of the room, unsure of who she should approach.

Arxzyn straightened his back and held his sword in both hands, above his right shoulder.

Razyn leaned forward and held his arms straight back, spreading his claws wide.

Namine clenched her eyes shut and prayed that what she was about to do would work. That nothing would go wrong.

Arxzyn and Razyn roared and ran to each other, ready to finish the fight.

Namine held out her palms when the warriors reached her. "STOP!" She screamed. She reached out and pulled them close to her as a great white heart shone from the floor, blinding all three travelers.

Then everything faded to white as the bright light surrounded all three of them, nullifying all senses.

oXo

A pure heart. A chained heart. A splintered heart. These three symbols each sat proudly in the middle of their own stain glass platform. These platforms were circular and arose from the infinite darkness. One was dark blue and gradually became light blue towards the edge. This was the one with the chained heart; it had a circular picture of a dagger above the heart, with an empty circle to the right of the heart, and to the left. Another of the platforms was orange which turned to yellow farther from the center. It possessed the pure heart, which was surrounded by the faces of thirteen men and women who had their heads turned away, and two empty circles. The last platform had nothing within it's gradient purple frame but one small splintered heart and two empty circles next to each other, and far away from the splintered heart.

On each of these platforms, stood a single person. On the azure, a young man with a tattered grey cloak and bright blond hair. He looked troubled. On the coral-colored platform stood a very young blond girl, wearing naught but a pink dress. She looked scared. On the violet platform was a tall man with bright blue hair and wearing a black and white cloak. He looked unstable.

All three snapped their heads up and turned around to face each other.

The girl sniveled and faced the blond boy. "Razyn?" Her tone closely reflected her demeanor.

The blond boy looked at the girl. "Yeah Namine?" He answered. His voice was gruff and commanding.

She held her hands to her heart and asked, "Will things ever be the same?"

"**...**" The endless abyss was silent. They could not even hear their own breathing.

She looked down at her hands. She swallowed. "Razyn?" She called.

The youth crossed his arms and smiled. "Don't worry Namine. We'll protect you."

She broke her gaze away from her hands and looked at the young man. "How can you protect me if you're so far away?"

"We're closer than you think." The man whispered, his voice echoing around the others. He was staring between the other two, as if his eyes weren't focused. Even though he whispered, his voice was heard as if he were standing over both of their shoulders.

The girl turned to the unstable man. "Arxzyn?"

The man continued to speak in strained breaths. "Our hearts are permanently linked. No matter what happens, we will always be able to rely on each other. Near or far."

The girl sighed and smiled. "Thank you. Razyn. Arxzyn." She nodded to the others in turn.

The youth grunted with a grin. "What are you talking about Namine?"

The man whispered, "You are the one responsible for chaining our hearts together." He smiled a small smile. "You just wouldn't give up."

"I'm happy it all worked out in the end." The girl mumbled.

She closed her eyes and sighed, holding her chin up. The youth closed his eyes and puffed out his chest. The man looked down at the floor and closed his eyes. After a moment, a bright light traveled up from the darkness and consumed them all.

When the light somewhat subsided, a fourth platform stood between the original three. All three blindly walked toward the center of their new platform on steps that appeared as they walked. In the still white emptiness, it was obviously smaller, just big enough for the three to stand comfortably. It was white throughout, bearing nothing but three round portraits.

Namine, Razyn, and Arxzyn opened their eyes. They first looked at Razyn, who grinned. Then to Arxzyn, who nodded. Then Namine was the focus; she giggled.

Everything faded to white as a bright light surrounded all three of them.

**A/N**

**...Editing makes everything seem a lot longer than it really is.**

**qinop out**


	11. The Virtuous Martyr

**Disclaimer: Imperative not to syntax me is. Confusion is preventing in important but it.**

"Hey..."

"Come on, wake up."

"Come on, I can tell you're awake."

Namine opened her eyes. Staring back at her was a pair of brown eyes. These eyes belonged to a young man with blue hair and fair skin. His left hand was resting on her cheek.

"Good. I was getting worried for a second there." He stated.

Namine sat up slowly. She looked around the valley in which she, the now kneeling boy and the red-headed man behind the boy resided. It was a wide valley, with grass flowing in the breeze and a dirt road off to her left.

Namine's gaze fell on the boy who awoke her and his accomplice. He was sitting there with a smile on his face.

"Razyn..." Namine sighed. She jumped into Razyn's arms and hugged him with all of the force she could muster. Razyn laughed and hugged her right back.

Arxzyn smiled and shook his head. He chuckled and held Lucifer's Catalyst over his shoulder as he walked away, giving the two friends some time to themselves.

Namine backed up a bit and dismounted Razyn. "Sorry." She muttered with a grin. She sat next to him and pulled her knees closer to her chest with a sigh.

Then there was silence. Calm or awkward, Namine couldn't be sure. The wind howled through the valley, making the grass shift and wave like an ocean of green. Strands of her hair flew off of her shoulder with the wind. She was about to say something when she felt a warm hand grasp hers. She smiled with a blush and gripped Razyn's hand.

There was peace. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, there was peace in her heart, in her mind, and in her soul. Razyn's heart was back, nobody was trying to kill her, and she felt more alive than ever. Namine felt weightless and Razyn's hand was the only anchor holding her down. And she loved it.

"Namine..." Razyn said, breaking her from her daze. Namine turned to him and smiled with him.

"Yes?"

Razyn closed his eyes and sighed. "I want to thank you. ...and apologize."

"For what?" She asked while she straightened her hair, sliding it away from her face.

Razyn looked back to the grass. It was still shifting back and forth in the zephyr. "I want to thank you for all you did. Without your help, I never would have been able to unchain my Love." Namine gave him a puzzled look. He met her gaze with his own solemn expression and continued. "Without you, I'd still be a lonely boy. Before I met you, I didn't think I could love. I thought I would be alone forever." Razyn smiled."Without you, I would have never had the strength to bring both you and Arxzyn back to this road." He looked away, to the red and orange clouds overhead. "My love, the Love you gave me, it was so strong it gave me a new form. Like Lust, just beautiful. You should have seen it. It felt so good."

"**...**" Razyn paused, to Namine's relief. She loved him, but he was giving her way too much new information. There was silence once again. She contemplated sketching out the sunset in her little notepad, but decided against it. Anything could happen to ruin this moment, and she needed it. Plus, she would have to let go of Razyn...

Razyn sighed. Namine looked back to him. "I'm also sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. But it did, all because I was being so childish." Razyn looked down at his feet. "I forced you to go on this whole stupid adventure for me. I put you through danger and torture. I can't imagine why you still love me after all I've-"

"Oh, stop." Namine interrupted. She gave Razyn a stern look as she spoke. "I don't care about any of that. I would do anything for you. Don't you forget it."

Razyn smiled again. "Thank you Namine. Really, I mean it. I don't know what I'd do without your Love."

Namine giggled and punched Razyn in the shoulder, earning an audible yelp. "You mean _our_ love." She corrected.

Razyn winced as he rubbed his now throbbing shoulder. He grinned and said, "Well I guess you are right. We both ha-"

oXo

"Razyn..." Namine sighed. She jumped into Razyn's arms and hugged him with all of the force she could muster. Razyn laughed and hugged her right back.

Arxzyn smiled and shook his head. He chuckled and held Lucifer's Catalyst over his shoulder as he walked away, giving the two friends some time to themselves. '_Honestly, those two shall never fully enter adulthood.'_ He looked over his shoulder at the two. The Heartless and the Somebody. His being the Nobody completed their little troop. After a few more moments of walking, he stopped and turned around to face their backs.

Arxzyn watched as Namine and Razyn, both happy as can be, relaxed by themselves in the grass. Now empty, he couldn't help but feel like he needed some of _that._ Whatever was it called? Love? Friendship? It didn't matter.

Arxzyn looked up and watched the stars twinkle. _'This land is quite amusing. One step and nightfall descends upon you.'_

All that mattered was this: even with the way things are, they weren't right. Namine's love was a Heartless. Yes, his new power gifted him with a familiar guise, but surely this facade is not indefinite. Namine herself was corrupt with the dark evil of Pride. A maiden so pure mustn't be disgraced by such a foul sin. As for himself...

Arxzyn placed his free hand on his chest, and suspired. _'I am yet again, without a heart.'_

Arxzyn looked back to his two comrades. Namine laughed and punched Razyn in the shoulder, earning an audible yelp.

As charming as the scene may be, it wasn't the way things were supposed to be. Arxzyn knew this, and knew he had to mend it anyway he could. _'I owe them both my existence... This is the least I can do'_

The Virtuous Crusader turned around and drew Lucifer's Catalyst. Holding the sword in both hands, he slammed the blade straight into the grassy meadow while he screamed, "Release my Blasphemy!"

Thunder's exploding fury echoed throughout the valley as lightning crashed down in front of Arxzyn. He turned his head to the side and closed his eyes, fearing he would be blinded by such feats of Holy magic.

Something nearby made a thumping noise.

Arxzyn opened his eyes. He briefly looked around for the source of the sound before stopping. Now kneeling and resting his hands on the pommel of his blade, he instantly realized that Lucifer's Catalyst had returned to its original form.

He stood up and pulled the sword out with his left hand. He didn't have to look at it. He knew well enough what it looked like: pointed tip, guard wider than the blade, with no holes to be seen, and possessing its original silver gleam.

"What form of trickery is this?" Arxzyn whispered eyes wider than the lenses of his shades. He turned his gaze to where Namine and Razyn were sitting. They were gone. The grass was gone. Arxzyn's gaze lead all along the ground, looking this way and that, and found that the patch of grass under his feet was the only remnant of the once lush meadow that traveled along side the Crux Road. The rest was empty darkness. Even the sky, which was once a glittering wonder, was now muted and dead.

"This is The World."

"Who is there? Show yourself!" Arxzyn demanded, looking all around, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Don't bother looking for me. I am not in The World with you in physical form. Only Mental." The voice echoed from all sides.

"What purpose does my being here serve?" Arxzyn asked, now standing still. He lowered his sword to the grass and gently stabbed the earth, placing his hands on the pommel.

"You called upon your Blasphemy." Arxzyn tensed. "I took you to the The World. The only world so devoid of sin and virtue, of Light and Dark, and crime and justice, that none but I know of its existence. Here Nothing exists, not muddled by the Something that exists elsewhere. Here, we can speak freely of what you desire." The voice paused. "Without _judgment_. I thought you would appreciate it."

Arxzyn simply stood there, silent as a statue. He was wearing his trademark frown, and had both hands resting on the dull pommel of Fallen Angel's Reign.

He stood there, stalwart as his resolve, for what could have been hours.

Finally, he did one thing; he kicked off his boots into the darkness, and wriggled his toes in the grass. Despite his expectations, he was still astonished when he found that the grass was soft and cold as it had been in the world he was once standing in.

"...What are your desires, Virtuous Crusader?"

Arxzyn looked up from the grass and spoke. "I request that Namine and Razyn have a happier life. A life that will be better than the dysfunctional one they are destined to have if they remain in their current states."

"What about yourself? Don't you want to be happy?"

Arxzyn slowly shook his head. "I don't care about my happiness." He stated. Seeing as there was no one was there, he was solemnly speaking into the back of his hands. "I've never felt true happiness. I would not miss it if I was denied it." He nodded and looked up into the nothing. "But those two, they have felt the joys of life, endured the trials of pain and anguish. I wish nothing more than for those two to have happiness. If, by coincidence, I benefit from this wish, than so be it. But my only goal is to give them what they deserve."

Arxzyn lowered his head, almost resting it on his hands. "They are the closest thing to a family I have. I would willingly give up anything to give them a better life." Arxzyn's shoulders sagged as he closed his eyes. _'Back in the Station, I could tell they would do the same._

"...Anything?" Blasphemy asked.

Arxzyn nodded, lightly hitting his forehead against his hands.

"Like what?"

Arxzyn raised his head and looked into the nothing. "Like this." Without warning, he raised his sword in one hand and threw it straight forward like a javelin. "Take it," He calmly stated, "It is my most prized possession, but I am glad to sacrifice it for this cause."

"Hm..." Blasphemy sounded as if he was contemplating the offering. Something clanged in the far off distance as Arxzyn waited. "I'm not convinced." He finally said.

"Truly?" Arxzyn removed his shades, and stared at them. He folded them up, and held them in one hand. "These shades of mine, they represent my individuality." He flicked his wrist and with a flash, the shades turned into a crescent-shaped dagger. Arxzyn looked up to the ever present nothing. With skill he chose not to use throughout his adventure, he threw the knife straight ahead, faster than a bullet. "I will forfeit my identity for those two."

"**...**"

Arxzyn stood up straight and gazed up to the would-be sky. He took a deep breath and clutched his under shirt. He tore it apart, revealing his chiseled unblemished figure. Arxzyn spoke to the Blasphemy, his tone staring calm, but quickly building. "If you still do not believe me heed these words: to ensure my goal, I would happily rip out any heart of my possession and hand it to you if it meant guaranteeing their happiness!"

_'They both would do the same! 100 times over! I know it!'_

"What say you!" Arxzyn shouted as he still held his shirt open.

"...Tell me, Virtuous Crusader, why are you so hell-bent on changing these two?" Blasphemy asked in a pleading tone. "What do you have to gain?"

Arxzyn lowered his arms and bravely stared into the nothing. "Because," He said in a tone most contumacious, "Two children such as they do not deserve such cursed lives. As long as I stand as a holy paladin, I will devote my entire being to change their fates."

Blasphemy chuckled. "I didn't know meddling was in a paladin's job description... It's not your responsibility, is it?"

"You do not understand!" Arxzyn declared. Though he remained poised, his tone easily deceived his true feelings. "We three are not separate. We are one, chained together by our very hearts; by our _one_ heart!"

"And...?"

Arxzyn's features twisted with pain and he turned his head away. "And... And... And!" He looked straight ahead, taking a step forward and pumping his fist. "And I love them! They love me! I've seen the worlds of sin and Darkness, if only for a moment!" Tears were now running down his face, but he continued. "I do not wish such a fate upon my closest friends!" By the end, he was sobbing almost every other word.

"Arxzyn."

Arxzyn fell to his knees and continued to sob, his shoulders rising and falling with every burst. "I beg of you. Grant. My. Wish!" He screamed before slumping into the green grass below.

"Arxzyn!"

"Please..." Arxzyn begged the eidolon with one more moan, before fainting.

oXo

Arxzyn opened his eyes.

**A/N**

**Before you say anything, I wrote that scene with Arxzyn before I even knew who Terra was, let alone his fate.**

**In every story, I try to focus on only the main character. But since there are three in this one, and Arxzyn joined late, I decided against cutting this huge scene, just to give the big guy more time in the limelight and to prove that he really is nice after all.**

**Nobody ever gets better unless they are told how bad they are! **

**Read & Review!**


	12. Chains of the Trinity

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Namine, nor any other related materials, they are copyrighted by Square Enix, and to my knowledge Tetsuya Nomura. I do however own Razyn, Arxzyn, 'Blasphemy,' and, as far as I know, the concept of Neo-Nobodies.**

"Arxzyn."

"Arxzyn!"

"Come on, we can tell you're awake!"

Arxzyn opened his eyes. Staring back at him were two pairs of eyes, one pair blue and one pair brown. These eyes belonged to two young adults. The boy had blue hair, the girl had blond hair, and they both wore small smiles. The boy on Arxzyn's right had his hand on the Ex-Virtuous Crusader's shoulder, while the girl on his left had her hand on his chest.

"Good. I was getting worried for a second there." The girl stated.

Arxzyn sat up slowly. He looked around the valley in which he, the now-kneeling boy, and his blond companion resided. It was a wide valley, with grass flowing in the breeze and a dirt road just ahead of his feet. Much to his chagrin, his sword was nowhere to be seen.

"Razyn. Namine:" Arxzyn mumbled as his gaze swept across the two friends. At his drawling, their expressions changed from relief to curiosity.

"Something wrong, Arxzyn?" Razyn asked. Not only did he look normal again, but he didn't smell like darkness anymore, much to Arxzyn's relief. "You look like you haven't seen us in months."

"Yeah something wrong?" Namine asked. Arxzyn looked at her, and he could tell that the darkness and Pride no longer held her. She was back to her original, pure self.

Arxzyn looked between them both, to the road ahead. "No," He muttered as he stood up. "It's nothing." He stretched shortly before beckoning for his allies to follow as he walked to the Crux Road.

"Ah! Wait!" Razyn exclaimed as he scrambled to his feet, Namine (although more gracefully) followed suit. They stopped behind him and held out their hands.

Arxzyn turned back to the two friends and jumped back a little when he noticed what they were both presenting. Razyn was holding a curved dagger while Namine was holding a gold necklace. He accepted the gifts and examined them closely. The dagger was his own; an altered version of the Crescent Jackknife, and the necklace was the same one he found in Castle Oblivion. Arxzyn looked up from the presents, clearly confused.

"You fainted." Namine explained. She gestured to the items. "And these were a couple of feet away from you."

"Oh." Arxzyn dumbly muttered. He looked down at the knife he held firmly in one hand. He flicked his wrist and it turned into a pair of shades. "Yes." He quietly cheered as he held his shades into the air. He slowly unfolded them and brought them back onto his face with a sigh.

"Didn't you notice?" Razyn asked. "That you weren't wearing your sunglasses, I mean."

Arxzyn turned to Razyn and shrugged. "They filter sunlight, yes. But they don't darken anything." Arxzyn looked up at the cloudy sky. "They are very comfortable and it isn't that bright, so..." He looked back to Namine and Razyn. Razyn seemed satisfied with his answer, but Namine seemed troubled. "Something wrong, Namine?"

"Well, it's just that necklace." She replied. "What is it exactly? I was wondering if you knew."

"Nn?" Arxzyn held the necklace higher to see it more clearly. "Well, you see this thing-"

"Oh, I know that!" Razyn interrupted. "I almost didn't recognize it until you held it up like that." Namine and Arxzyn both turned to Razyn as he stared at the necklace. "Can I have it?" He asked. Without a word, Arxzyn gave the trinket to him. Razyn nodded while he inspected the gold links. "Yeah, this is it."

Namine leaned in and asked, "What is it?" Arxzyn leaned to the side to try to maintain his view.

Razyn smiled and held up the object, as everybody fixed their gaze upon it. "This was a present from one of my seniors to his crush." He explained. "Honestly, I'm surprised that you have it. He was going to use this to try and take her heart with a proposal." Razyn chuckled and placed the trinket in Arxzyn's still open hands. "Or rather, convince her to take _his_ heart."

"How romantic. It must have been very important to him." Namine murmured. She turned to Razyn with worry in her features.

Razyn's smile widened a little before he threw his arm around Namine's shoulder. "Oh, don't worry about him. I know for a fact that he and his girlfriend are happily living together as we speak."

Namine paused before she smiled and nodded. "Yeah."

Arxzyn, still holding the treasure, cleared his throat. Both of his comrades looked back at him. "What should we do with it, then?"

Razyn and Namine gave each other a look. Razyn removed his arm from Namine and rubbed his chin. "Well why don't we give it to them as a wedding gift?" He suggested.

Namine and Arxzyn glanced at each other, apparently skeptical of Razyn's sanity. "...How would we do that?" Arxzyn questioned.

Razyn crossed his arms and scoffed. "'How would we do that.' He says." He lowered his arms and held his left hand out to Namine. "Namine could you please explain the finer points of the Crossroads of Fate?" He said.

A light blush crossed her face as both boys fixed their gaze on the Neo-Nobody. "Um well... The crossroads connect all worlds... in a way." She paused, visibly trying to think of the best way to explain the theory she herself barely understood. "I'm not exactly sure, but from what your boss tried to teach you-"

"Uh, you mean _taught_ me." Razyn interjected.

Arxzyn turned his head to Razyn and said, "Considering you need her to explain, I think it's safe to say he tried without success." He returned his attention back to Namine. "Please, continue."

Namine nodded and continued with her explanation. "From what your boss tried to teach you, it goes something like this: the crossroads - which I call the Crux Road - connect every world. in a way."

Arxzyn cocked and eyebrow. "What do you mean, in a way?" He questioned.

"Well, it's kind of complicated." Namine responded. She started walking towards the road and motioned for the others to follow. She held her hands behind her back as she strolled through the emerald grass to the dirt path. When all three companions were standing in the heart of the road, she continued. "Using this road, anyone can travel - albeit slowly - to any realm they want. Realm of Light, Realm of Darkness, Realm of Twilight, Realm of Nothing, and a couple of others. Once they arrive at a realm, they can travel to any specific world within that realm."

"I still don't get it." Arxzyn stated.

"Join the club." Razyn muttered as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Arxzyn hushed Razyn as Namine resumed. "I think what Razyn was getting at was that we could get back to Garret by using the Crux Road."

Razyn stuck out his lip and nodded. "That was the gist of it. I just didn't trust my own knowledge, so I wasn't sure."

Arxzyn nodded. He looked at the necklace once more before stowing it into one of his pockets. He looked back to Namine, who was trying to keep the wind from messing with her hair. "Which way should we go?" He asked her.

She looked up at him, then down both sides of the road. She pointed to her left (Razyn and Arxzyn's right) and nodded. "That way." Her companions looked to where she was pointing. "The Realm of Twilight."

At the thought of drawing their adventure to a close, all three travelers felt their pulses quicken. They glanced at each other. Razyn gave a short laugh. Namine released a gentle sigh. Arxzyn flashed a happy grin. Each nodded and turned to march to their goal.

"Hey, Arxzyn?" Namine called.

Arxzyn stopped walking and turned around, about to question his smaller ally.

Before he could however, he felt a delicate pair of arms wrap around his midsection as he was pulled into a hug. He held his arms up at shoulder length, obviously stunned by Namine's action. Her light moan as she nuzzled his chest only worsened the situation. He could feel his cheeks heating up fast. He tried looking to Razyn for support; only find his Other was watching the spectacle with a warm smile.

"Thank you Arxzyn." Namine said, almost making the Ex-Virtuous Crusader flinch. "For everything you did for us. You sacrificed so much, just to give Razyn and me a new life. Without you, I- I can't even begin to imagine what things would be like." She said all of this while still holding her head to his chest.

Arxzyn blinked, then lowered his arms to her upper back and returned her embrace. "It was nothing." He replied. "I was just doing my duty as a Paladin and... a friend." The end of his response came out quieter than he intended, but just loud enough so Namine could hear.

Namine pulled away from Arxzyn. "I'm glad," She said before turning to Razyn, "That I have such good friends." Namine walked away from her two friends and began down the Crux Road.

Razyn stepped next to Arxzyn. They glanced at each other. Razyn produced a small package from his pocket. "Here." He handed it to Arxzyn. "That is a gift from the boss. He said to give it to you when you felt the love you fought so hard to protect. I would hug you too, but the resulting concussion wouldn't be worth it. After you play with it a bit, hurry and catch up, alright?" With that said, Razyn ran to catch up with Namine while calling out for her to slow down.

Arxzyn looked down at the leather-wrapped object. He untied the leather and let it fall to the dirt, revealing its treasure. He held the prize in one hand. It felt familiar. He held it in one hand and reached forward. He swung it down and behind himself. When it reached the end of its arc, the cylindrical gift was attached to a long silver blade. Arxzyn smiled and held it over his shoulder as he ran to catch up with his friends.

The three began their long journey home together. While walking, the three engaged in idle chit-chat to pass the time. Hours would pass by, and boredom never seemed to ensnare the three.

Occasionally, Razyn would describe various rogue tactics such as sneaking about and using sleights of hand. Other times, Namine would educate both of her confidants on the various philosophies of the self-taught arts. At nights, when the stars were shining down on his tiny sect, Arxzyn recited interesting passages from ancient scriptures.

As the days passed, all three wayfarers sometimes found themselves laughing as they walked along together, remembering how happy just being in each others company made them.

_Anything I need is right here. You don't have to trouble yourself._

**A/N**

**Wow. This story was supposed to be over two chapters ago. Oh well~**

**This story was actually going to be completely different. No Arxzyn. No Crux Road. No Ax Crazy Namine. None of that. Oh and it was supposed to be very idealistic. Yeah, what happened to the idealism? It kinda flew off in, what? The second chap? More like the first, really, there being a prologue and all...**

**But I digress. Like I said, this story marks the beginning of the 'Collette Chronicles' my first project ever. As I have said in the past, I will finish it.**

**I'll see you next time.**

**-qinop a.k.a James Collette**


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